Iowa bird flu outbreak prompts governor to declare state of emergency

Four new poultry farms initially test positive for virus in country’s top egg-producing state after Minnesota and Wisconsin declared emergencies in April

Iowa governor Terry Branstad declared a state of emergency on Friday due to a rapidly expanding avian flu outbreak, soon after state agriculture officials announced four new poultry farms had initially tested positive for the virus.

Iowa, the top egg-producing state in the United States, is the third state to declare a state of emergency because of the viral outbreak, which either has led or will lead to the extermination of up to 21m chickens and turkeys nationwide.

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