The 2015 High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that occurred in Iowa provided an opportunity to evaluate if weather patterns and prevailing winds could play a role in the spread of HPAI through the state's poultry population. The study will assess the meteorological data captured during the outbreak and compare it with the timeline and placement of affected farms. The objective of the study is to establish if it is feasible that the weather plays a role in the spread of HPAI.
The preliminary results of this on-going study indicate a potential exists for air originating from an inflected facility to have played a role in the spread of disease. This demonstrates the need to promptly stop virus-laden air from leaving facilities that are positive, and to explore ways of stopping virus-laden air from entering negative barns.
