Birds from seven farms have been euthanized, with three more farms now undergoing the process. Federal and state authorities are monitoring and testing the nearby area, it said, without naming the exact site. This outbreak could delay the reopening of some export markets to US poultry products.
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The first infection was confirmed last week at a 60,000-turkey farm with connections to major Indiana-based producer Farbest Farms, which has contract growers in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
The virus was discovered on 10 turkey farms in Dubois County, which is Indiana’s top poultry-producing county.
Indiana’s poultry industry brings in $2.5 billion a year, Derrer said, adding that the state leads the country in duck production, is No. 3 in egg production and fourth in turkeys.
“APHIS is working closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health on a joint incident response”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk of illness to humans from bird flu to be very low.
USA officials have taken to heart lessons from last year’s outbreak, when USDA workers could not always kill infected flocks fast enough to contain the virus.
The Indiana flock appears to have become infected when a less unsafe form of the virus in the area mutated, said John Clifford, the USDA’s chief veterinarian. The strain is different from last year’s outbreak, the agency reported in a statement on January 15.
Still, the new strain found in the United States is considered highly pathogenic, meaning it is especially deadly to poultry. The response has been rapid, with the killing of birds going on throughout the night, he said in the interview. Five of the affected 10 commercial turkey flocks, all in Dubois County, have been depopulated while efforts continue despite the cold weather.
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There’s no indication why H7N8 surfaced during winter months, but officials have said bird flu – be it H5N2 or H7N8 – could resurface anytime.
