More than 4 million chickens in Iowa will have to be killed after a case of highly pathogenic bird flu was discovered at a major egg farm, the state announced Tuesday.
Crews are killing 4.2 million chickens after the disease was found on a farm in Sioux County, Iowa. This is the latest in a years-long outbreak that is now also affecting dairy cattle. Last week, the virus was confirmed at an egg farm west of Minneapolis, Minnesota, leading to the slaughter of nearly 1.4 million chickens.
A total of 92.34 million birds have been killed since the outbreak began in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Although bird flu has become somewhat common among poultry, its spread to cattle has increased concerns about the disease. In May, a second dairy farmer was diagnosed with bird flu and the virus was found in both beef and milk. It has been confirmed on dairy farms in nine states.
Health and agriculture officials have said the risk to the public remains low. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the meat from one sick dairy cow should not enter the nation’s food supply and that beef remains safe to eat.
Workers exposed to infected animals are at greater risk. The only three human cases confirmed in the United States included two dairy workers and one man who was slaughtering infected birds on a poultry farm.