Market News & Headlines >> Biggest Bird Flu Case yet in Iowa

A flock of 5.3 million chickens at an egg laying facility in Osceola County, Iowa has been infected with the virulent H5N2 strain of bird flu, USDA said on Monday afternoon.

This is by far the largest U.S. flock yet to be hit by the virus so far. It is only the second chicken flock to be hit, but brings the total number of commercial poultry facilities hit to 44. The affected facility has been quarantined, and birds on the property will be culled to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the USDA.

The flock experienced increased mortality and as a result samples were sent to the South Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for preliminary testing, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said in a press release. The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa confirmed the findings.