Nearly 400K birds at Indiana farms with bird flu euthanized

In a related development, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that, because H7 viruses have infected people before, so human infections from the new strain could occur, though the risk to the general public is low.

The avian influenza virus in IN is the H7N8 strain.

An update to the developing situation of bird flu in Dubois County, as no new farms have tested positive for the strain since Sunday.

Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts. The IBAH released a clarification on the pathogenicity of the newly detected viruses the same day. Officials said low-pathogenic viruses can quickly mutate into the viral form that’s deadly to birds.

In Indiana, the USDA quickly deployed personnel and equipment to assist the state with culling birds and testing nearby flocks, said Bret Marsh, Indiana’s state veterinarian.

Indiana Department of Environmental Management Commissioner Carol Comer said the disposal of the hundreds of thousands of birds is a logistical challenge, “The infected birds are being composted on the farm”. The rest are chickens that, while not infected, were considered to be in “dangerous contact” with an infected turkey flock. That stamping-out operation brings the bird loss number to 401,163. Water is usually used to drown the birds; but with wind chills in the single digits, it has been freezing. Currently, depopulation has been completed at six of the 10 turkey flocks.

Federal animal health officials and their IN counterparts are still investigating how the virus arrived. “Nor does it change our resolve to eliminate this virus wherever we find it”.

There have been no reported human infections so far.

Last year’s outbreak led to the deaths of more than 48 million chickens and turkeys, either killed by the virus or culled to contain it. No cases were reported in humans.

U.S. emergency health officials responded to the hazard with speed.

The case of avian flu in IN doesn’t involve Tyson Foods, spokesman Gary Mickelson said in an e-mailed response.