H-5 AVIAN INFLUENZA HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN CANADA GEESE AT GREEN VALLEY LAKE AND AT LAKE OF THREE FIRES IN SOUTHWEST IOWA.
STAFF WITH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES COLLECTED DEAD GEESE FOR TESTING STARTING AT GREEN VALLEY LAKE ON DECEMBER 11.
SO FAR, AN ESTIMATED 60 GEESE HAVE BEEN COLLECTED AT THE POPULAR IOWA STATE PARK.
LOCAL STAFF ESTIMATE THOUSANDS OF GEESE ARE CURRENTLY AT GREEN VALLEY LAKE AS PART OF THEIR FALL MIGRATION.
DR. RACHEL RUDEN, STATE WILDLIFE VETERINARIAN WITH THE IOWA DNR, SAYS THEY ARE GETTING REPORTS OF INFLUENZA ACTIVITY ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE STATE, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, MASS MORTALITY EVENTS IMPACTING SOUTHWEST IOWA WHICH HAS REMAINED FAIRLY INSULATED SINCE 2022.
HOW LONG THE OUTBREAK WILL LAST IS UNCERTAIN.
THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE FROM SICK GEESE OR THOSE THAT ARE EASILY APPROACHED WITHOUT OBVIOUS SIGN OF INJURY.
ALSO KEEP PETS FROM INTERACTING WITH SICK OR DEAD BIRDS.
