Bird flu case forces killing of 5.3 million chickens in Iowa
By DAVID PITT
Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State agriculture officials say the confirmation of bird flu at another Iowa egg-laying farm will force the killing of more than 5 million chickens. It’s the second case of avian influenza in Buena Vista County, about 160 miles northwest of Des Moines, but the outbreak confirmed Friday is at an operation with 5.3 million chickens. The earlier case was at a farm with about 50,000 turkeys. The latest case means nearly 12.6 million chicken and turkeys in at least eight states have been killed or will be destroyed soon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the cases in birds do not present an immediate public health concern.