DES MOINES, Iowa, May 2 (UPI) -- Iowa, the top-producing egg state in the country, became the third in the nation to declare a state of emergency as a result of a fast-spreading avian flu that has already decimated more than 21 million chickens and turkeys.
Governor Terry Branstad declared the state of emergency on Friday, the same move made by Minnesota and Wisconsin in April. As the leading egg-producing state in the country, the bird flu in Iowa has the potential to financially destabilize Iowa. In the past few weeks, some 21 million chickens and turkeys have died or been exterminated to prevent further spread of the disease.
"One in every five eggs that is consumed out there across the United States comes from Iowa, so it will impact our consumers and unfortunately it is impacting our producers right now," U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said. "It is something that continues to spread. It is a great concern right now for Iowans."
The highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu has devastated dozens of farms across the three states. Health experts say it is not contagious to humans.
Branstad said the emergency will be in effect until May 31, adding 21 sites in 10 counties have positive or presumed positive cases. Farms across the state have been quarantined to help stop the spread of the disease.
"This is a magnitute much greater than anything we've dealt with in recent, modern times," he told KCCI.
Experts think the virus was carried to the United States by migrating Asian waterfowl.
