News

Iowa turkey industry has been planning for avian flu

The report Tuesday of Iowa’s first avian flu outbreak in a commercial turkey operation in northwest Iowa was not a big surprise considering how the virus has been spreading in neighboring Minnesota this spring.

In fact, the poultry industry has been preparing for such an event for many years, says Gretta Irwin, executive director of the Iowa Turkey Federation.

“The Iowa turkey industry as well as the Iowa egg industry have had plans in place for well over 15 to 20 years for avian influenza,” Irwin says. “We are currently doing blood sampling of every turkey flock before it leaves the farm to check for avian influenza.  We also, as an organization, have been communicating a lot with our members—in the last month, specifically—about avian influenza, where it’s been in the states, and reminding our members of good biosecurity measures.”

Iowa ranks 9th in turkey production in the U.S, producing over 11 million turkeys each year.  There are 130 turkey farmers in the state with about 200 farm sites.

AUDIO: Gretta Irwin