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Iowa bird flu disaster declaration continues another month

The 2015 avian flu outbreak in Iowa prompted Governor Terry Branstad to declare a State of Disaster Emergency.  The emergency declaration was initially issued F...

The 2015 avian flu outbreak in Iowa prompted Governor Terry Branstad to declare a State of Disaster Emergency.  The emergency declaration was initially issued Friday, May 1. Since then it has been extended multiple times.

The bird flu declaration was extended month by month, to July 1, then July 31, now until August 30, according to a statement from the Office of the Governor.

“This is the third extension the governor has made to the original disaster proclamation,” the statement said.

Now that the disaster emergency has been extended the disaster response and recovery plan will continue.  The Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Land Stewardship can monitor confirmed cases of bird flu, make restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease, and eliminate the disease, according to the statement.

The plan also gives authority to various state agencies, some for example: the Iowa DOT, the Iowa DPS, and the Iowa DNR, to stop movement or loading as they see fit.  They can also clean and disinfect operations at checkpoints that surround quarantine areas.  These agencies can also depopulate and dispose of livestock carcass to prevent the spread of bird flu.

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