5 Million Iowa Hens to Be Euthanized After Bird Flu Found

An Iowa egg-laying facility found to have chickens infected with bird flu will see all 5.3 million of its hens euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease, agriculture officials said Monday, following an initial avian influenza outbreak discovered elsewhere in the state last week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the outbreak, which officials believe is being spread by migratory birds, the Des Moines Register reports. Just last week, an Iowa turkey farm had to kill 27,000 birds after the virus was detected.

While health officials say H5N2 presents a low risk to humans, the epidemic could be a big problem for Iowa farmers, as their nearly 50 million hens provide one out of five eggs consumed in America.

[Des Moines Register]