The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed Wednesday an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County. This marks Iowa’s fourth domestic bird detection of the virus in 2025. Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Sac County, effective through March 21, to mobilize state resources for tracking, containment, disposal, and disinfection efforts. The declaration also waives certain regulations for commercial vehicles responding to affected sites. HPAI spreads easily among wild and domestic bird populations and can be fatal to poultry, including turkeys and chickens. Producers and backyard bird owners are urged to enhance biosecurity measures and report suspected cases to IDALS at 515-281-5305. Despite the outbreak, public health officials say the risk to humans remains low, and properly cooked poultry products remain safe to eat. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources advises reporting clusters of sick or dead wild birds. Since the latest outbreak began in 2022, an estimated 162 million birds have been affected, including 30.23 million in Iowa.
