Bird Flu Outbreak Continues: 1.2 Million Chickens to be Slaughtered in Iowa

This marks the second major case this week, following the slaughter of 1 million chickens in Minnesota. The ongoing outbreak has led to the culling of nearly 63 million birds since last year.

• The bird flu outbreak has led to the culling of nearly 63 million birds since it began last year, with the majority of cases, nearly 58 million birds, occurring last year.
• Iowa, the nation's leading egg producer, remains the hardest hit state with more than 17 million birds killed since the outbreak began. In one case last year, 5 million chickens were slaughtered on a single Iowa egg farm.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been finding fewer wild birds carrying the virus this year, suggesting that some ducks and geese may be developing immunity.
• Most of the recent cases this fall have been found in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa along one of the major migratory paths ducks and geese follow as they fly south for winter. The virus is spread easily by the droppings of these wild birds that can be tracked onto farms.
• Poultry and egg farmers are taking measures to prevent the virus from reaching their farms by requiring workers to shower and change clothes before they enter barns, sanitizing trucks before they enter the farm, and keeping separate sets of tools for each barn.

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