Bird flu detected in commercial flock in Palo Alto County, Iowa [Video]

PALO ALTO COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) – A case of bird flu has been confirmed in a commercial flock in Palo Alto County, Iowa.

On Sunday, Dec. 8, a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 or HPAI) was detected in a commercial turkey flock in Palo Alto County, Iowa, according to a press release by Iowa’s Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

The case was detected by both the Iowa Department of Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. This is the fifth detection of the disease in Iowa for the year 2024.

The Iowa Department says clinical signs of the disease in birds include:

• Sudden increase in bird deaths without any clinical signs
• Lethargy and or lack of energy and appetite
• Decrease in egg production
• Soft, thin, shelled and/or misshapen eggs
• Swelling in the head, eyelids, comb, wattles and hocks
• Purple/ blue discoloration of the combs, wattles and legs
• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing, sneezing and/or falling down
• Diarrhea

The department says it …