The Iowa Department of Agriculture has confirmed another case of avian influenza found in Buena Vista County — the fourth case in that county out of ten cases in the state.
Iowa Ag Secretary, Mike Naig said Tuesday it’s believed all the cases are tied to wild bird migration.
“I think you can see a scenario where this could get worse as we go through spring — but only time will tell. Weather has a lot to do with that,” he said.
There are 35,500 turkeys at the latest infected facility in Buena Vista County, with a total now of more than eight million birds that have to be destroyed. Naig was asked if there is an economic impact already from the outbreak.
“The obvious answer is yes — economic impact in the sense that producers have been impacted — their productivity, their revenue, and the supporting entities around them,” Naig said. He said the plans developed since the last outbreak in 2015 are key in dealing with that issue.
“What we’re trying to do is prevent the spread, prevent further impact on our farmers — but ultimately also try to minimize the impact on consumers,” he said. Naig couldn’t say what impact this outbreak could have on the state’s ag economy.
“There has been an economic impact, it’s too soon to be able to put a number to that. And certainly, we hope that we are able to curtail that as we get further into the spring,” he said.
State Veterinarian Jeff Kaisand said they are monitoring the wild bird migration as part of their efforts. He said there are some days when there’s a lot of movement and when it gets cold there is a little bit of stall out.