A bird flu virus that showed up in the United States late last year has affected more than 5 million chickens at an Iowa farm and can wipe flocks within days. "All the birds on the sit will be euthanized. The sit is also quarantined," said Dustin Vande Hoef, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Experts think wild birds flying from Asia are carrying H5N2 and other different types of avian influenza. H5N2 has been reported in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. The National Guard has helped disinfect trucks after Wisconsin declared an emergency. While the H5N2 outbreaks are only affecting birds, avian influenza viruses can and do infect people, adding a level of urgency to controlling any outbreak.
