Bird flu detected in Buena Vista County commercial pullet flock

The bird flu was detected in a commercial pullet flock in Buena Vista County. (Photo by Larry Rana/USDA)

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected in a commercial pullet flock in Buena Vista County Friday, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

This is the sixth detection of the H5N1 bird flu in Iowa this year, and the second 2025 detection in Buena Vista County. The previous detection in the county occurred in a commercial turkey flock and impacted more than 26,000 birds. 

The current HPAI outbreak has been an ongoing problem for wild and domestic birds since 2022, though it has also spread to dairy cattle and more than 70 humans who have contracted the virus after being in contact with sick animals. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rates the public health risk of HPAI as low, and the state agriculture department said poultry and egg products remain safe to consume. 

The bird flu has caused egg shortages and price increases around the country. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently laid out a $1 billion plan to strengthen biosecurity measures, repopulate farms and research a vaccine for poultry. 

Gov. Kim Reynolds extended a disaster proclamation to Buena Vista County through April 13 to waive certain regulatory provisions and allow state resources to assist with containing the outbreak. The governor issued a disaster proclamation for the county in February following the first outbreak, which was set to expire Saturday.