Indiana sees first commercial case of avian flu
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – People who raise chickens in central Indiana are hopeful a deadly bird flu found in the southern part of the state has been contained.
Avian flu has been found in Indiana, after hundreds of birds died, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced Friday.
It’s the first case of avian flu in the state this year, and the first case of avian flu Indiana has ever had at a commercial poultry farm.
The farm is in Dubois County, in the southwest part of the state.
Avian flu, also known as H7N8, was discovered by laboratory testing after several hundred birds died.
“This finding of highly pathogenic H7N8 is unique to Indiana and the nation,” said Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh in a news release. “This strain is unrelated to those identified in the Upper Midwest in 2015, nor is it related to the HPAI case identified in a Northeastern Indiana backyard poultry flock that was affected last May.”
Food safety is not considered to be at risk, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, saying “the Centers for Disease Control considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.”
Signs of H7N8 avian flu in birds include sudden death, lack of energy, lack of appetite, decreased egg production, soft-shelled eggs, misshapen eggs and diarrhea. Backyard poultry owners should report signs of the illness or deaths to a USDA hotline at 866-536-7593. Dead birds should be double-bagged and refrigerated.
Indiana is a significant poultry producer, with state officials valuing the industry as $2.5 billion. Indiana ranks first in duck production, fourth in turkey production and third in eggs in the U.S.
In the back yard of Bill Dyke’s home on Indy’s south side is his business Hidden Creek Farm. He breeds buckeye chickens for sale and for show, and protecting his prized poulty from diseases is made clear by a sing in the front of his driveway.
“When we first started this we found that every time we brought, brought new birds in on the property we would then have losses,” he said.
He only gave us access because we didn’t have recent contact with other poultry.
But had we been down in Dubois County, we might have been denied.
A bird flu strain was discovered there at a commercial turkey farm after hundreds of the birds died.
The USDA ordered the farm to euthanize all 60,000 of its remaining turkeys and a six mile quarantine was set up. Those actions that are giving local farmers some piece of mind.
“I’d be surprised if any of our customers are concerned by this,” said Andrew Brake, co-owner of Agrarian, a general store on Indy’s north side that caters to people who raise chickens. One of his customers, McKenzie Beverage, heard about the flu contamination. She has a few chickens in her backyard.
“I don’t feel concerned that (the chickens are) going to contract anything just because their environment is so controlled in my backyard and they’re under my care,” she said.
it’s just this tends to happen on the big farms,” said Brake about flu contamination. “Nothing against the big farms, we need the big farms. But this doesn’t happen in backyard chicken farming. It’s small enough, it’s controlled enough.”
And to make sure of that, Dyke said, “I would advise against bringing poultry onto your property from unknown location.”