As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) captured the headlines in the last year, another disease is thought to have caused twice as many losses to Iowa turkey farms in 2024 than bird flu.

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) was discovered in the U.S. in fall 2023 and confirmed in March 2024 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in samples of turkey and broiler chicken.

“Research shows that while aMPV causes infection among all poultry, turkeys appear to be more susceptible to the virus,” noted a recent study conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions (DIS). “The highly contagious virus compromises...