The discovery was found on the Polk County farm when samples were collected as part of routine, pre-slaughter surveillance for the National Poultry Improvement Plan Avian Influenza Clean Program (H5 and H7). The turkeys did not show any clinical signs of sickness or disease.
The USDA says the meat from a flock of 13,000 adult turkeys is safe to be harvested. However, the farm which raises turkeys for Cargill, says up to 15,000 infected young birds would be killed and buried this week. A foam substance will be pumped into the facility to kill the birds.
Cargill says it's impossible to identify the source of the flu outbreak. At this time, the farm has been quarantined as more tests are completed at the National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa. It says flocks within six miles of the facility, which is not being identified, are receiving tests for the disease.
