With infection widening across state, Dallas County takes emergency steps to prevent chicken flu

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The Dallas County Board of Supervisors today passed a resolution declaring a state of emergency in Dallas County and authorizing the board chairperson to issue orders for road closures and embargoes if they become necessary.

The resolution approved by the supervisors states “that the movement or transport of any poultry or poultry waste products is hereby prohibited within one mile of any poultry facility. This prohibition shall not apply to a poultry facility moving or transporting on or near its own facility.”

The supervisors said there are no reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Dallas County at this time and there is no risk to the public or threat to the food supply.

Barry Halling, coordinator of the Dallas Count Office of Emergency Management, said the supervisors’ steps are purely precautionary.

“Dallas County is trying to be proactive and help protect producers from HPAI,” Halling said. “The disease could be devastating to poultry producers in Dallas County if there was an outbreak here.”

Halling emphasized the disease is not in Dallas County at this time.

“We’re going to do our best to keep it that way,’ he said.

Halling said the county is working in cooperation with local area producers, cooperatives and state officials to implement a preventative plan in an attempt to stop the spread of the HPAI.

Owners of farm and backyard flocks are advised to protect their birds from exposure to wild water fowl and other types of poultry. Owners are also reminded to report any sick birds or unusual death loss to their local veterinarian, to avoid sharing equipment between sites, and to restrict visitors to their farms.

Halling said Dallas County Secondary Roads workers might place barricades near local poultry facilities in the county in an effort to help prevent the spread of the disease.

He said county officials said they have been in contact with the offices of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department, Iowa Department of Transportation, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and Iowa Department of Public Health and believe these actions are in the best interest of the Dallas County economy.

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