Bird flu declaration extended for O'Brien Co.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds last week extended a disaster proclamation for O'Brien County and four others due to the ongoing threat of bird flu.

Other counties included in the extension were Palo Alto, Sac, Sioux and Worth. Bird flu was confirmed in a commercial laying flock in O'Brien County on Dec. 14, which was the eighth detection of the virus in Iowa of 2024. Two days later it was confirmed in flocks in Sioux, Worth and Monona counties.

Flocks with confirmed infections are destroyed to hamper the spread of the virus. The governor's disaster declaration allows state resources from Iowa Homeland Security, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and other agencies to assist with tracking and monitoring, rapid detection, containment, disposal, and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.

Bird flu is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic bird populations. It can travel in wild birds without those birds appearing sick, but is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys. The virus can also impact dairy cattle, and 13 cases were detected in Iowa dairy herds in June of 2024. With supportive care, dairy herds recover with limited or no mortality associated with the disease.

According to state and federal officials, bird flu does not present an immediate public health concern and it remains safe to eat poultry products. Though there have been cases of the virus being transmitted to humans, those who've contracted it have recovered. Thus far only one animal-to-human transmission case has been reported in Iowa.