All infected birds euthanized; investigation continues
All 10 original infection sites involved in the avian flu response have had their flocks depopulated, according to the State Board of Animal Health.
There were no new positive tests overnight, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. In the last 24 hours, 114 commercial farms have tested negative for influenza; 62 in the control area and 52 in the added surveillance zone. All commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least one round of negative tests.
State and federal teams have visited 1,599 residences in a 10-kilometer radius control area around the original site to search for small, backyard flocks of birds for precautionary monitoring and testing. A total of 67 backyard flocks have been found, and sampling of these flocks continues.
A total of 398 state, federal and local responders are working in Dubois County on surveillance and response efforts. Thirty offenders and five Department of Correction staff members are participating in the response.
Rundown of the situation:
On January 15, it was announced that confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza were found in Dubois County. State, local and federal agencies began working together on containment and depopulation operations.
On January 16, nine additional avian influenza detections were announced, with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirming on January 17 that eight flocks have been confirmed as low pathogenic avian influenza.
More information on the ninth positive could not be confirmed through the original testing, and more in-depth testing is being conducted at the USDA National Services Laboratory.
A 10 kilometer control area has been established, primarily in Dubois County. An extension of an extra 10-kilomenter “surveillance zone,” beyond the 10-km control zone, has been put in place as a precaution. The surveillance zone includes parts of Crawford, Daviess, Martin and Orange counties. All infected sites are in Dubois County.
Birds have been humanely depopulated on all ten premises. Disposal processes have begun on all depopulated sites. Turkeys are being composted in the buildings in which they were euthanized. The composting process takes about three weeks, after which time, the compost can be used agriculturally because it will not contain the virus.
An additional 156,000 hens (chickens) that are NOT infected with H7N8 have been depopulated and disposed of in a landfill. The facility is considered a “dangerous contact” to an infected turkey flock. The laying facility is located very close to an infected barn and shares a vehicular traffic zone with the original site, putting the birds at high risk of contracting the virus. No chickens are infected.
