Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 5/20/15

Four new confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Iowa has brought the total number of chickens killed or sickened to about 26 million and the turkey toll to nearly 1 million, state officials announced.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports that outbreak has affected more than 38 million birds since the first confirmed reports of HPAI outbreaks were issued six months ago. Iowa currently has about 60 confirmed outbreaks with most of the infected birds destroyed.

Meanwhile, South Dakota has become the latest state to cancel state poultry shows in an effort to stem the potential spread of HPAI, according to state veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven. More than 1.6 million birds in South Dakota have been affected by numerous outbreaks of H5N2 this year alone. Other states like Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota also have launched similar poultry show bans at various events, including state fairs.

Finally, Hong Kong has added South Dakota’s Moody County to the list of U.S. territories that no longer can export poultry meat and products from U.S. growers. Hong Kong has already cited dozens of U.S. counties for poultry bans since the U.S. H5N2 outbreak.

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