Michael Hirtzer

Tue, May 28, 2024, 3:18 PM PDT1 min read

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-records-worst-bird-flu-211402973.html

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(Bloomberg) — Deadly bird flu was detected in an egg-laying chicken flock in Iowa, affecting 4.2 million birds in the biggest US outbreak since 2022.

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The detection is the first since December in Iowa, which is the top US egg producer with nearly 12% of the country’s layer hens, according to US Department of Agriculture data. The findings come as the virus has been infecting dairy cows across the US.

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The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said the site is in Sioux County, according to a statement Tuesday.

It’s the worst outbreak since more than 5 million birds were affected at a farm in Iowa’s Osceola County in March 2022, when the virus was first spreading in the country. Prices for eggs surged to a record as tens of millions of birds were killed to slow the spread.