Avian Flu Outbreak 2015 Latest News Update: Iowa in State of Emergency After H5N2 Virus Positive in 5 More Farms

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Iowa was declared to be in a state of emergency due to bird flu outbreak. Governor Terry Branstad announced last Friday that Iowa was at risk after the H5N2 virus was found to be positive in five more farms.

Branstad announced that the state of emergency is immediately effective and response plans will be enforced by authorities to prevent further spread of the virus until at least  the end of May but depending on the progress of the outbreak.

According to Daily Star, Iowa is the third US state to declare a state of emergency because of the bird flu outbreak. The first two states were Minnesota and Wisconsin that declared the emergency last April.

The response measures include the authorization of assigned governing bodies to necessary resources, supplies, and equipment needed to help trace and eradicate the flu outbreak. It also includes the removal and disposal of the contaminated animals.

"While the avian influenza outbreak does not pose a risk to humans, we are taking the matter very seriously," Branstad said.

Checkpoints and road blocks will also be positioned in different parts of the state including the quarantined farm areas. The tally for either confirmed or speculated farm sites positive for the H5N2 virus is 21 farms in over 10 counties so far.

The latest county to be infected with the outbreak Buena Vista County with seven farms confirmed to be affected. Others include Sioux County with 84,000 infected chickens and a farm in Clay County with an unconfirmed number, according to World Tech Today.

Iowa is the top egg producer in the United States. The current bird loss is at approximately 20 million turkeys and chickens. However, numbers are expected to rise as farms continue to be investigated. The virus also affected a fourth of the state's 60 million hen population. All infected birds will be euthanized and disposed of, affecting the income of all farmers involved. The US government, however, will pay for the birds that will be killed off and part of the cleanup operation. The supply of turkey and eggs to consumers is also affected by the outbreak.