(Indianapolis, IN) - A commercial poultry farm in Jay County lost around 20,000 turkeys in early January to the first positive test for bird flu in Indiana in almost a year.
The loss happened about a week after close to a million egg-laying chickens in Dark County, Ohio, were euthanized because of infection from the same virus at a commercial poultry operation. The USDA also says the same virus in Darke County claimed more than 31,000 turkeys at two separate operations this month, and about 4,500 turkeys in Mercer County, Ohio. Both states have taken similar action to try and prevent a spread.
“There’s a lot of response going on,” said Denise Derrer-Spears, Communications Director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. He says the infected farm in Jay County had its entire flock euthanized after a test for the H5N1 virus came back positive on January 3.
Ever since, the farm has been working on disposing of the carcasses and undergoing a clean-up and disinfection of its operation expected to last a few more weeks before permission is granted to house more turkeys. A 10 kilometer control zone encompassing 56 other commercial poultry farms has also been imposed around the infected Jay County operation.
Spears said farms within the zone cannot bring in or ship birds or transport eggs without a negative test and permit from BOAH to guard against human infection from the food supply.
According to USDA, Indiana ranks fourth and Ohio ninth among the states in turkey production while Indiana is also near the top in egg and chicken production.
Ohio is the second leading producer of eggs in the nation and 17th for chicken production, according to the Ohio Poultry Association.
