Five more chicken flocks in Midwest with bird flu; 37 million birds affected

WASHINGTON — Five more flocks in Iowa and Nebraska have been confirmed with highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI).

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence in five additional flocks in Iowa and Nebraska late Monday, May 18.

USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed HPAI H5N2 in the following counties and states:

Buena Vista County, Iowa, 903,700 chickens;

Sioux County, Iowa, 240,000 chickens;

Sioux County, Iowa, 272,300 chickens;

Plymouth County, Iowa, 100,000 chickens;

Dixon County, Nebraska, 1.6 million chickens.

The affected premises have been quarantined and birds on the property will be depopulated. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system.

This latest set of confirmations pushes the number of detections reported to 168, affecting nearly 37 million birds. This outbreak started in December 2014.