No New Infected Flocks Found in Indiana Bird Flu Testing

US - No new flocks have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Indiana since 16 January.
calendar icon 5 February 2016
clock icon 3 minute read

Testing covered a wide area as part of response efforts to the disease outbreaks found in Dubois County.

The outbreaks affected ten flocks in all, but most were affected by low pathogenic versions of the virus.

The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) says that aggressive testing continues inside the 10km control area and additional 10km surveillance zone, and all commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least two rounds of negative tests.

However, the state agency now says that if no more positive flocks are detected, the control and surveillance zones will be released on Monday 22 February.

This date marks the end of a 21-day follow period, as prescribed by USDA, following the establishment of all compost piles. The depopulated turkeys from the infected premises are being composted on site, which BOAH says will take about three weeks before the compost can be used agriculturally as the virus will no longer be present.

Once the control area and surveillance zones are released, restrictions on movements of all poultry and products (commercial and residential) on all non-infected sites will be lifted by the Indiana State Veterinarian. Quarantines will continue on the infected sites until final site-cleanup requirements are met.

Officials have also been diligently monitoring backyard flocks in the area, but all small flocks tested so far have been negative for the virus. The second round of testing of the 105 backyard flocks will commence next week to fulfil their testing requirements prior to the release of the 10km control area.

Wildlife in the area is also being tested, and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University has run more than 2,100 avian flu tests since the incident began.

Overall, the outbreaks resulted in the death of 258,325 turkeys and 156,178 chickens.

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