State health officials are now reporting that 41 commercial poultry farms in northern Indiana with a total of 539,810 birds have been impacted by the virus known as bird flu since Oct. 9.
All of the cases have been found in Elkhart and LaGrange counties affecting either commercial egg layer facilities or commercial meat duck farms.
So far, there have been no reports of any turkey production facilities in Indiana that have been impacted by the virus, given the proximity to the Thanksgiving holiday.
State health officials say each facility that has a positive test must be quarantined and each of the birds are depopulated.
The recent number of poultry farms and total number of birds affected so far will likely have a significant economic impact on the state’s poultry industry. Indiana ranks first in the U.S. for duck production and third for egg production, according to USDA.
October 9th marked the first positive case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Indiana since May.
Federal officials with USDA add that HPAI does not present a food safety risk, and that cooked poultry and eggs and pasteurized dairy products remain safe to eat.
Testing will be done at nearby flocks to determine whether HPAI has spread. USDA Wildlife Services and Indiana Department of Natural Resources are assisting with surveillance of wild birds in and near the control areas.
