An occurrence of bird flu, or avian influenza, would have an enormous impact on Iowa, which has 10 times as many chickens as people.

The possibility of the flu moving from Delaware would result in severe economic losses for commercial poultry producers in Iowa, said Susan Lamont, professor of animal science.

The aftermath of Delaware’s first case of bird flu included 12,000 chickens being destroyed after two tested positive, Lamont said.

A second case of bird flu was confirmed on a Delaware farm Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

The second Delaware case will hinder efforts to lift bans on U.S. poultry by foreign countries in the past week.

If the disease reaches Iowa, there is currently little threat to students’ health, student health officials said.

“It is extremely rare for humans to become infected with an avian influenza virus,” said Darrell Trampel, professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine.

The current bird flu virus is not easily spread from animals to humans, but there is concern about the threat to humans if the virus mutates into an infectious human disease, said Marc Shulman, staff physician of the Thielen Student Health Center.

The symptoms of avian flu in humans are the same as any other influenza — they include fever, body ache, coughing and sore throat. Respiratory distress, viral pneumonia, eye infections and other severe and even life-threatening complications may also occur, Shulman said.

He said antiviral medication would have to be used to treat avian influenza — although it is not 100 percent effective even for normal influenza, because viruses are constantly changing.

People can only get avian influenza if they come into contact with the infected birds or their feces, Trampel said. The virus is destroyed in infected poultry that is properly cooked, making it safe for human consumption, he said.

Outbreaks of the infectious strain A (H5N1) of avian influenza in poultry have been confirmed in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

“There are no restrictions on travel to these locations at this time,” Shulman said, “But travelers should be aware of this disease and contact their health care provider if they become ill while traveling to or upon returning from one of these areas.”

Iowa is the No. 1 producer of eggs in the United States, with more than 42 million laying hens.

An occurrence of avian influenza in Iowa is just as likely as it is anywhere else, Trampel said.

Most occurrences of the avian influenza virus in poultry are low pathogenic strains that are not as severe as high pathogenic strains. Chickens with low pathogenic strains are not as likely to show any symptoms, and do not need to be regulated, Trampel said. However, there are two low pathogenic strains of the virus, H5 and H7, that have the potential to mutate into a high pathogenic strain, he said.

“When H5 or H7 viruses are detected, state quarantines and federal programs to control and eradicate the virus are initiated,” Trampel said.

Detection of these two strains in any country results in other countries putting up trade barriers to prevent spreading the flu, which means farmers in those areas are unable to sell their chickens until barriers have been lifted, causing economic strains for the poultry producers.

“In this country, we have an avian influenza detection and reporting system which has been very effective and is progressively getting better,” Trampel said.

Iowa requires farms to routinely check for the presence of avian influenza in chicken and turkey flocks. A national avian influenza monitoring system is currently under consideration, he said.

Symptoms of high pathogenic avian influenza in poultry include severe respiratory distress, diarrhea, reduced egg production, nervous system dysfunction and hemorrhages on the head and face of affected poultry. These symptoms are fatal 90 to 100 percent of the time, Trampel said.