Over 4.2 million chickens in Sioux County, Iowa, have been culled due to highly pathogenic bird flu, adding to a nationwide outbreak impacting livestock since 2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports a total of 92.34 million birds culled, with cases also confirmed in cattle, including dairy cows. Despite reassurances of low risk to the public, concerns arise over the virus’s transmissibility, highlighted by recent infections in alpacas and limited human cases involving dairy workers and poultry cullers.
More than 4.2 million chickens in Sioux County, Iowa, are being culled following the detection of highly pathogenic bird flu at a large egg farm. This event, announced on Tuesday, adds to an ongoing outbreak that has impacted livestock across the nation since 2022. Last week, nearly 1.4 million chickens were culled at an egg farm west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 92.34 million birds have been culled in total due to the outbreak. While bird flu is common among poultry, its spread to cattle has caused additional concern. Cases have been confirmed on dairy cattle farms in nine states, affecting both beef and milk.
Despite the spread of the virus, health officials assert that the risk to the general public is low. Meat from infected dairy cows has been prevented from entering the food supply, ensuring that beef remains safe for consumption. However, individuals in close contact with infected animals are at greater risk. The only three human cases in the U.S. involved dairy workers and a man involved in poultry culling.
Scientists have closely monitored the H5N1 virus for two decades. Recently, it infected alpacas at a farm in Idaho, marking the first known cases in these animals. This development, along with the wider variety of affected species, has raised concerns about the virus potentially becoming more transmissible among humans.
