Suspected infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu, continue spreading among agricultural producers of ducks, turkeys and egg-laying chickens, primarily in northeast Indiana.
Since March 6, the State Board of Animal Health, or BOAH, has quarantined a total of 85,835 ducks, 20,641 turkeys and 64,950 egg-laying chickens in LaGrange, Elkhart, Noble and Jay counties because of bird flu, records show.
Nearly all of the quarantined fowl have already been destroyed following confirmation of HPAI infection. The remaining birds are also slated to be depopulated if their bird flu tests come back positive.
In the past month, some 180,000 egg-laying chickens, 70,000 turkeys and 120,000 ducks have been destroyed at Indiana commercial poultry farms after testing positive for bird flu.
That follows the depopulation of some 300,000 ducks and 700,000 egg-laying chickens in northeast Indiana at the end of last year, as well as some 8 million chickens at the start of 2025, which caused the price of eggs to soar.
Indiana ranks first among the 50 states for duck meat production and third for eggs.
The latest outbreak spurred Republican Gov. Mike Braun to issue a March 2 executive order waiving hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers bringing material needed for on-site composting of depopulated birds to affected farms.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts the public health risk for HPAI is low. It’s possible for humans to contract HPAI, though no cases have been confirmed in Indiana, according to the Department of Health.
Bird flu does not present a food safety risk. BOAH says cooked poultry and eggs and pasteurized dairy products are safe to eat.
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