20.04.2015

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) at a commercial laying facility in Osceola County, Iowa. The facility has 3.8 million hens and is the second confirmed case in the state. The complex produces eggs which are broken in-line for liquid. With a nominal complement of 4 million hens the complex could produce 40 tons of raw product per day.
The flock experienced increased mortality and as a result samples were sent to the South Dakota State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for preliminary testing. The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa confirmed the findings. State officials quarantined the premise and birds on the property will be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease.