We are getting our first look at the impact high path avian flu is having on the nation’s poultry industry. USDA data shows nearly 12 million birds have been killed so far, and it has caused a 3 percent loss in the nation’s laying flocks.
The most recent cases were reported in Iowa in a commercial turkey flock. Earlier this week, the virus hit a commercial laying flock impacting 1.5 million birds.
Iowa’s Ag Secretary told reporters this week that migration could last another two months, so the situation could get worse before it gets better.
HPAI has also now been detected in a backyard flock in Ohio.
Related:
Battling the Virus: HPAI continues to spread in Midwest; there are signs of hope
The poultry industry could face a lengthy recovery following HPAI outbreak
Iowa’s latest HPAI case leads to culling 5 million chickens