State and federal agriculture officials have confirmed two new cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in southeast Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service say H5N1 was detected in multi-species backyard flocks in Van Buren and Keokuk Counties.
These are Iowa’s third and fourth confirmed cases of H5N1 in 2026.
H5N1 is a viral disease that affects both wild and domestic birds. Wild birds can carry the virus without appearing sick. But in domestic flocks the disease is often fatal.
