Bird Flu Returns To Iowa Turkey Flocks

Two commercial turkey facilities in Iowa have been hit by the reemerging highly pathogenic bird flu, causing about 100,000 birds to be killed to prevent the disease from spreading. The Iowa Department of Agriculture reported the infected poultry flocks within weeks of a turkey farm in South Dakota and one in Utah reporting the first outbreaks in the U.S. since April, raising concerns that more would follow. Bird flu last year cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The outbreak caused spikes in egg and turkey prices for consumers and cost the government over $660 million. Iowa was the hardest-hit state last year, with nearly 16 million birds lost.