A total of 50 Iowa sites have highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
The total increased as more commercial laying operations were reportedly infected in May 2015. The latest report was from a Sioux County commercial laying operation with an estimated 238,000 birds, that experienced increased mortality in the flock, that later tested positive for H5 avian influenza.
More than 25 million birds were infected in Iowa including laying hens, pullets, turkeys, hatchery facilities, dozens of backyard ducks and more than 700 backyard chickens.
Most of the affected locations have been in counties in northwestern Iowa, although a commercial laying operation with 1.5 million birds was confirmed to be infected in Madison County, just southwest of Des Moines.
Infected flocks are euthanized when infection is confirmed.
