The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced Thursday that there has been a case of bird flu detected in a backyard flock in Hardin County. This is the seventh confirmed case of the disease this year. The department said the infected birds in Hardin County are a mixed species backyard flock with the H5N1 HPAI strain. In 2024 bird flu infected not only wild and domestic birds but also infected several dairy cattle herds and one human in Iowa. While the disease is often fatal to domestic birds, dairy cattle and humans are typically able to recover with proper care. If you suspect that your flocks or dairy cattle are infected with bird flu, you are advised to report it to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in Des Moines.