Bird Flu–update

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial layer flock in O’Brien County in northwestern Iowa. This marks Iowa’s second detection of H5N1 HPAI within domestic birds in 2025.

The first case of 2025 affected a multi-species backyard flock in Clinton County, Iowa, in eastern Iowa. Officials said 40 birds were infected.

This strain of the viral disease can affect wild and domestic bird populations, the state Department of Agriculture reported. Wild birds may not appear sick, but the disease is often fatal to domestic bird populations, including chickens and turkeys, the department said.

H5N1 HPAI can also impact dairy cattle, and 13 cases were detected in Iowa dairy herds in June 2024. With supportive care, dairy herds recover with limited, or no mortality associated with the disease, the state Department of Agriculture said.

Nationwide, the USDA detected bird flu in 113 flocks, affecting 19.5 million birds in 2025.