The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is encouraging poultry producers and other bird owners to be especially vigilant about the signs and symptoms of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

While no cases have yet been confirmed in Iowa, there have been confirmations in South Dakota and Minnesota this month. With fall migration underway, Iowa bird owners should remain on high alert.

Signs of HPAI include lethargy or lack of appetite, decreases in egg production, swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, and hocks, and sudden increases in bird deaths without any clinical signs. While it is often fatal to domestic bird populations, it does not present a public health concern.

Commercial and backyard flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds, and report sick birds or unusual deaths to state or federal officials. The last reported case of HPAI in Iowa was in March. For more information on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, including a full list of symptoms and biosecurity resources, click here.