1st Iowa turkey farm restocked after avian flu infection

An Iowa turkey farm infected with H5N2 avian influenza is being restocked, the first one in the state, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced on August 4.
The farm, located near Manson in Calhoun County, was confirmed to have avian influenza on May 19. The farm had six bards that held 28,800 brooder poults and 14,400 finisher turkeys. The farm is owned by Brad Moline, a farmer who gained nationwide attention when he testified before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on July 7, informing senators about the problems farmers are facing with avian influenza, and advocating for APHIS indemnification payments.
Moline, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, Dr. Jack Shere from USDA APHIS, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Mark Schouten and the Iowa Turkey Federation will participate in a press conference at the farm at 11 a.m. on August 10.


69 of the 77 control zones being lifted surrounding infected premises
The Iowa agriculture department is in the process of lifting 69 of the 77 control zones that were established around premises in Iowa infected with avian influenza. The 10-kilometer control zone was established around each site with a confirmed case of avian influenza.
All premises that had poultry that were located within a 10-kilometer control zone surrounding an infected site were quarantined and all movement of poultry and poultry products, feed, fuel, etc. in and out of those quarantined non-infected premises had to be permitted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
In addition, all premises containing poultry infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza were quarantined. This announcement does not affect the status of any premise that had a confirmed case of avian influenza;it only impacts those sites that were not infected but were within the 10-kilometer control zone.
To be eligible for the control zone to be lifted 60 days must have elapsed since the poultry located on the infected premises that caused the control zone to be established were depopulated or 21 days must have elapsed since cleaning and disinfection were completed on the infected premise.
There have been 18 counties in Iowa with at least one control zone and now there will only be control zones remaining on six farms in three counties. These farms are located in Adair, Sioux and Wright counties.