Bird flu just confirmed at 5 Iowa farms, 4 more suspected
The deadly bird flu virus has been confirmed on northwest Iowa farms that had been identified earlier as possible cases by state officials.
A laboratory in Ames operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the H5N2 virus on a Sioux County farm with nearly 3.7 million egg-laying hens, two O'Brien County farms with a combined 338,000 hens and an Osceola County farm with 258,000 chickens.
An egg farm with 1.7 million chickens was confirmed late Monday.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey had said Monday the five farms were probable cases pending further tests.
The confirmed cases bring to about 9.8 million Iowa chickens that have either been or will be euthanized.
The virus has also been found on two Iowa turkey farms involving 80,000 birds.
MORE SUSPECTED CASES:
State agriculture officials say the deadly bird flu virus is suspected on two more Iowa chicken farms and two more turkey operations.
Officials say initial tests indicate the virus on two turkey farms in Buena Vista County. One has 50,000 birds and the count on the other farm is still pending. A chicken farm in that county with 63,000 laying hens also tested positive.
Tests also returned positive on a chicken breeder farm with 19,000 birds in Kossuth County.
A U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory in Ames will run additional tests to confirm.