Bird flu detections in Iowa cows continue; lawmakers push USDA for more help

Two more dairies have joined the growing list of those in Iowa where bird flu has been detected in cows, the Iowa Department of Agriculture announced Thursday.

Both are in Sioux County, bringing to 11 the number of dairies there with cows in which highly pathogenic avian influenza has been diagnosed. There also have been detections in one dairy apiece in neighboring O'Brien and Plymouth counties. The June 5 O'Brien County case was the first confirmed among cows in Iowa .

The announcement came two days after Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the state will begin requiring testing of cows for the virus within a week before they are transported to fairs or shows, effective July 1.

While bird flu is deadly to poultry, cows generally display mild symptoms.

Iowa congressional delegation pushes USDA for more help with bird flu

On Wednesday, Iowa's congressional delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging it to "continue working alongside state leaders to provide adequate relief to affected producers and assist indisease research and response."

It noted that Iowa this year also has seen bird flu infections at two turkey farms and a laying hen facility. Unlike cows, the full flock of poultry in which bird flu infections are detected is destroyed to prevent the spread of the disease.

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Iowa is the nation's leading producer of eggs, and close to 30 million birds have been destroyed in the state since bird flu began surging in 2022.

Written by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who along with fellow Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the letter expressed alarm at the movement of the disease between species.

"While our farmers have been grappling with the spread of HPAI among commercial poultry populations for sometime, the recent developments of the virus infecting dairy cattle demand immediate and significantattention," said the letter, addressed to US. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor. "Infection among livestock not only complicates containment efforts but also increases the risk of HPAI affecting a broader spectrum of farms in our state."

Echoing a previous request by Naig, the letter asked for boosts in the speed, amount and types of federal compensation for dairy and egg producers whose operations are affected by bird flu. It also called for accelerated research on how the disease spreads and repeated urging by Ernst, Grassley and Gov. Kim Reynolds of work on a vaccine to prevent it or limit its virulence .

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"As HPAI continues to spread, ensuring our producers and state leaders have the tools necessary to mitigate the ongoing threat must remain a top priority for the USDA, especially when working towards complete eradication of the disease," the letter said.

It acknowledged that the department has provided epidemiological strike teams and wildlife personnel to study transmission of bird flu in Iowa and said "we also would like to express our appreciation for the work already underway."

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Bird flu detections in Iowa cows continue; lawmakers push USDA for more help