Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Detected in Sioux County, Iowa

By Cami Koons

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Friday it had detected the H5N1 bird flu in a flock of commercial egg-laying chickens in Sioux County. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for the county on Thursday, because of the “highly contagious” disease that has the “potential to quickly destroy private property and exhaust local resources and capacities unless its spread is stopped.” 

According to IDALS, this is the fourth detection in Iowa poultry this year. The previous case was detected June 20, though more recent cases of the flu have popped up in the state’s dairy sector. 

H5N1 can be fatal to domestic birds, though wild birds can carry it without apparent symptoms. In a press release, the department said, “it remains safe to enjoy eggs and poultry products.” The public health risk is low according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which reported 58 confirmed cases in humans in 2024. 

The governor’s proclamation allows for “the use and deployment of all available state resources” and equipment deemed “reasonably necessary” by IDALS and the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to track and monitor the disease, establish restrictions and engage in contact tracing and investigatory work to eliminate the disease in Sioux County. 

The disaster proclamation also suspends various sections of Iowa code to allow for swift containment and disposal of birds along with eased regulations on commercial drivers responding to sites with the bird flu. The proclamation is in place until Jan. 5.

Commercial and backyard poultry growers are advised to monitor their flocks and contact their veterinarians immediately if they notice symptoms like lethargy, reduced appetite, thin-shelled or soft eggs, a sudden increase in deaths, nasal discharge, or decreased egg production.

Additional information on biosecurity for Iowa producers can be found on the IDALS website.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig urged Iowa producers to practice “proactive biosecurity” in an Oct. 1 press release about HPAI at the start of migratory bird season. 

“We encourage all livestock producers to be alert, revisit their biosecurity plans, and ensure those measures are effectively put into practice,” Naig said in the October release. “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza isn’t just a poultry issue or a dairy issue, it’s an issue for all of agriculture.” 

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show more than 1,200 flocks, totaling more than 100 million birds, have been infected since the outbreak in poultry began in 2022. 

The virus spread to dairy cattle in March 2024 and has since been detected at dairies in 15 states. Iowa has reported 13 dairy cases.

The USDA announced a required dairy testing program on Friday to better monitor the spread of the bird flu. The program will begin the week of Dec. 16 in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

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