Bird flu detected in Iowa commercial flock for first time in nearly a year

Bird flu has been detected in a Sac County, Iowa, commercial turkey flock. (Photo by Stephen Ausmus/USDA)A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey flock of approximately 44,400 birds in Sac County, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  While the HPAI H5N1 outbreak has been ongoing since February 2022, Iowa has not reported an outbreak of the bird flu in a commercial flock since December 2025. The state has reported seven outbreaks of the virus in backyard, mixed species or game bird flocks in 2026.  Iowa has had more total birds affected by the bird flu than any other state since the start of the outbreak, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Sac County Wednesday after IDALS’s announcement. The disaster proclamation allows state and department resources to be more easily deployed to help contain and mo