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Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza Diagnosed in Indiana Poultry Flock

Source: Indiana State Board of Animal Health

INDIANAPOLIS (9 February 2022)—The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) has been notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory that poultry from a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County has tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza.

Image with map of Indiana with BOAH leters and caption Indiana State Board of Animal HealthAvian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. No human cases of avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States.

A veterinarian delivered samples from the flock to the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University for testing after approximately one hundred birds died. The farm is under quarantine. BOAH is actively working with the industry to increase monitoring of flocks statewide.

This finding is the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry in the United
States since 2020. HPAI was last identified in commercial flocks in Indiana in 2016.

Indiana’s poultry industry ranks third nationally in turkey production, first in duck production, second in table
eggs and egg‐laying chickens, and is a significant producer of broiler chickens. The poultry industry employs
more than 14,000 Hoosiers and is valued at $2.5 billion.

REPORTING

Hobby poultry owners are encouraged to practice good biosecurity and be aware of the signs of avian influenza and report illness and/or death to the USDA Healthy Birds Hotline: 866‐536‐7593. Callers will be routed to a state or federal veterinarian in Indiana for a case assessment. Dead birds should be double‐bagged and refrigerated for possible testing.

Signs include: sudden death without clinical signs; lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, hocks; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. Check a great online resource for backyard bird health information.

UPDATES and INFORMATION:

Check situation updates and status reports about ongoing avian influenza activities in Indiana, along with critical disease‐related information.

BACKGROUND:

This marks the first case of HPAI in Indiana in 2022. The last significant finding of HPAI was in Dubois County in 2016, when 11 poultry farms were affected by the H7N8 strain of the disease that resulted in a loss of more than 400,000 birds.

CONTACT FOR MEDIA:

Denise Derrer Spears, 317‐544‐2414 or animalhealth@boah.in.gov

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