Not long after the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish announced the presence of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a single duck today, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County, Iowa.

Iowa Image/National Atlas of the United States
Iowa
Image/National Atlas of the United States

This make Iowa the 16th state to report  highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The flock of 27,000 turkeys is located within the Mississippi flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified.

Just north of Iowa’s border, the USDA-APHIS reported H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in an additional eight commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota– Kandiyohi County – 30,000 turkeys (4th detection in the county),La Sueur County – 21,500 turkeys (1st detection in the county),Meeker County – 25,000 turkeys (2nd detection in the county), Meeker County – 20,000 turkeys (3rd detection in the county),Stearns County – 76,000 turkeys (5th detection in the county),Swift County – 160,000 turkeys (1st detection in the county),Swift County – 154,000 turkeys (2nd detection in the county) and Redwood County – 56,000 turkeys (1st detection in the county).

There are 22 total confirmed cases in Minnesota.  These flocks are within the Mississippi flyway where this strain of avian influenza has previously been identified.