9 More Dubois Turkey Farms H7 Confirmed

[niman]

APHIS has announced 9 more H7 confirmed turkey farms

[niman]

Additional H7 Avian Influenza Cases Found in Indiana

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent this bulletin at 01/16/2016 06:00 PM EST

Cases Found Through Surveillance Testing in Initial Control Area

WASHINGTON, January 16, 2016 -- The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of H7 avian influenza in 9 flocks in southwestern Indiana. These new cases were identified as part of surveillance testing in the control area surrounding the initial highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) case.  Testing is currently ongoing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa to determine the pathogenicity of these new cases.

No cases of HPAI H7N8 virus infection have been reported in humans at this time, and no human infections associated with avian influenza A viruses of this particular subtype (i.e., H7N8) have ever been reported. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including HPAI.

APHIS continues to work closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the affected premises and depopulation of birds on the affected premises has already begun. Depopulation prevents the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system. 

As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners continue to work on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area. The rapid testing and response in this incident is the result of months of planning with local, state, federal and industry partners to ensure the most efficient and effective coordination. Since the previous HPAI detections in 2015, APHIS and its state and industry partners have learned valuable lessons to help implement stronger preparedness and response capabilities. In September, APHIS published a HPAI Preparedness and Response Plan that captures the results of this planning effort, organizing information on preparatory activities, policy decisions and updated strategy documents.

The United States has the strongest AI surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations, live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations. 

Anyone involved with poultry production, from the small backyard to the large commercial producer, should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. To facilitate such a review, a biosecurity self-assessment and educational materials can be found athttp://www.uspoultry.org/animal_husbandry/intro.cfm.

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.  Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

 

Additional background

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each combination is considered a different subtype, and can be further broken down into different strains. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)— the ability of a particular virus strain to produce disease in domestic chickens.

 

 

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http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/130ad7c

[niman]

--- PRESS RELEASE --- For Immediate Release More Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Diagnosed in Indiana   INDIANAPOLIS (16 January 2016)—The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) announces nine more commercial turkey farms in Dubois County have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This brings the total to 10 commercial turkey operations. Further testing is underway to determine the virus type.   All positive flocks are located within the original control area, and were identified by surveillance testing. New 10 km circles have been drawn, to expand the control area slightly beyond Dubois County into Martin, Orange, Crawford and Davies counties.   Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.   Poultry flocks in the surrounding area are being tested daily for the presence of avian influenza. State and federal agencies are working alongside the poultry operations to minimize the impact and eliminate the disease.    Depopulation activities are underway on most of the sites. Depopulation of the index site was completed this morning. All infected flocks are located in Dubois County, Indiana.   REPORTING   Backyard poultry owners are encouraged to be aware of the signs of avian influenza and report illness and/or death to the USDA Healthy Birds Hotline:  866-536-7593. Callers will be routed to a state or federal veterinarian in Indiana for a case assessment. Dead birds should be double-bagged and refrigerated for possible testing.   Signs include:  sudden death without clinical signs; lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of head, eyelids, comb, hocks; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at:  www.healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov   UPDATES and INFORMATION:   Situation updates and status reports about ongoing avian influenza activities, along with critical disease-related information, will be posted online at: www.in.gov/boah/2390.htm . Users may subscribe to email updates on a link at that page.   # For additional information, contact: Denise Derrer at 317-544-2414 [email protected] About the Indiana State Board of Animal Health The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH), also known as "the Office of the State Veterinarian", has primary mission areas of:  animal health, food safety (Dairy, Meat and Poultry Inspection), disaster preparedness and animal care. For more information,visit www.boah.in.gov.

[niman]

Affected Counties 2016

 

County & Flock #	Date Confirmed Positive	Number of Poultry	Type of Operation	Status	Type
Dubois 1	Jan. 14, 2016	60,000	Commercial Turkey	Depopulated	H7N8
Dubois 2	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 3	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 4	Jan. 16, 2016	12,000	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 5	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 6	Jan. 16, 2016	23,500	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H_N_
Dubois 7	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 8	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 9	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_
Dubois 10	Jan. 16, 2016	TBD	Commercial Turkey	Depopulation is underway	H7N_

TBD = to be determined

Current Statewide Situation 
Total number of affected premises = 10 
Total number of affected counties = 1 

Premises by County/Number of flocks
Dubois : 10

Total number of birds affected in Indiana
Commercial Turkey: TBD

_________________
Total: TBD

[niman]

New Bird Flu Strain Found at More Indiana Farms

by MAGGIE FOX

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A new type of bird flu found at one Indiana poultry farm has been found at nine others, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said Saturday.

The new strain's called H7N8 and it's never been a problem in poultry flocks before. It's the second outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in U.S. flocks.

Last year's multiple outbreaks of a strain called H5N2 forced the slaughter of 48 million birds and drove up egg process for months.

"These new cases were identified as part of surveillance testing in the control area surrounding the initial highly pathogenic avian influenza case. Testing is currently ongoing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa to determine the pathogenicity of these new cases," the USDA said.

"No cases of HPAI H7N8 virus infection have been reported in humans at this time, and no human infections associated with avian influenza A viruses of this particular subtype (i.e., H7N8) have ever been reported," the department said.

Cooked meat and eggs do not spread the virus. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-bird-flu-strain-found-more-indiana-farms-n498041

[niman]

State board: 10 Dubois farms now affected by avian flu

January 16, 2016

Sarah Ann Jump/The Herald 
Governor Mike Pence spoke to the press after being briefed by officials on the avian flu situation in Dubois County at the Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing at VUJC on Saturday.

By WYATT STAYNER 
[email protected]

Update:

The Indiana State Board of Animal Health has confirmed that 10 commercial turkey farms in the Dubois area have now tested positive for avian flu.

The confirmation came tonight that nine farms, in addition to Dan Kalb's farm, have tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The state board reports that depopulation control is underway at all nine farms.

Find the latest reports from the BOAH here: http://www.in.gov/boah/2390.htm

Earlier:

Today, at the VUJC CTIM building Indiana Governor Mike Pence was briefed by local officials and multiple state emergency response agencies on the possible spread of H7N8, which first hit Steve and Dan Kalb’s farm in Dubois this week, which they operate for Huntingburg’s Farbest Foods. 

Pence said that while there are no confirmed cases outside of Kalb’s farm, there are “preliminary positive” tests at a number of sites in a 6.2-mile testing area established around Kalb’s farm. 

The state is waiting on confirmation from the lead lab, APHIS National Veterinary Service Laboratories, in Ames, Iowa. 

So far 60,000 birds have been culled and that number is expected rise above 200,000. 

“I just finished a briefing on the circumstances involving the avian flu that has now been detected at a number of sites,” Pence said. “When we determined that there was a site identified, I authorized the deployment of full resources of the state of Indiana to contain and address this situation. Today, I received the status that additional sites have been preliminarily identified birds who have contracted the avian flu. Any and all resources of the state of Indiana are to be brought to bear on addressing this issue, (in) containing it and mitigating the impact on business across this region. We have a robust poultry industry in Indiana and that is nowhere more true than in this area of the state and Dubois County has an extraordinary poultry of which we are very proud.”   

The exact number of farms affected or there exact locations can’t be answered at this time, said Joseph Romero, the director of planning for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. 

Pence added that the main focus right now was a “multi-agency” effort to stop the spread of the disease and work on containment. 

This week’s outbreak marks the first time a commercial flock in Indiana has received bird flu. It’s the also first confirmed outbreak of avian flu anywhere in the U.S. since June.     

“We’ve got personnel on the ground working very closely to identify where there are affected animals and to make a determination of where depopulation should take place,” Pence said. “(State agencies) have been in the process of planning and training for this eventually in the state of Indiana. I think the response that Dubois County has seen today is a result of good, solid planing at every level and we’re putting that into effect to make sure we can contain and resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that this particular strain of avian flu — which is different from the strain that caused millions of bird deaths last year — is unlikely to affect humans. 

Cheryl Miller, a D.V.M with the Indiana Board of Animal Health, said that it’s OK to eat poultry, chicken and eggs. The flu has so far only been confirmed in turkeys. 

“People are safe,” Miller said. “There is no problem there.”

Still, Dubois County Emergency Management Agency Director Tammy Humbert wants people to be aware that isn’t smart to go on a tour of the affected area anytime soon. 

“Don’t go out looking for this. Stay away,” Humbert said. “We don’t want people going into the areas. Live your lives. Everything is OK. We will handle this. We’re a strong community and we’re going to get through this just fine.”

While the health of Dubois County citizens is likely to go unaffected, the same can’t be said for their pockets. Indiana ranks fourth nationally in turkey production, first in duck production, third in eggs, and is a significant producer of broiler chickens, according to an Indiana Joint Information Center press release. 

The poultry industry employs more than 14,000 Hoosiers and is valued at $2.5 billion. 

Romero said that the state is waiting on specific information from the USDA in terms of “what costs will be reimbursed and how operator and farmers will indemnified for there losses.” Pence added that he had farmers and operators backs.     

“The state of Indiana is going to work in full partnership with all of our producers to ensure that all the resources that are available through the USDA are secured to mitigate the financial impact here,” Pence said. 

Humbert said that instead of working in her normal office in the Dubois County Courthouse Annex, she would be working at the VUJC CTIM building in a Joint Emergency Operations Center located staffed with the various agencies who are tasked with combating the outbreak. Humbert is slated to be there for the next three weeks.

Don Watson with Indiana Department of Homeland Security said his agency would likely be in the center for the next several weeks since the outbreak is “just so hard to get under control.”

Dubois County Council President Greg Kendall said he was impressed by both the local and state response to the outbreak and added that it was good the governor visited Dubois County since “he’s the head of the food chain.” 

“This is a major disease. We haven’t seen (H7N8). So where it is, how fast it is going to move is really a question that only God can answer at this point,” Kendall said. “We got to stop it as soon as we can... This could have a major, major economic impact on so many people in Dubois County because we are so active in Dubois County in the turkey and chicken business.” 

https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/avian-flu-could-now-affect-more-than-200000-birds

[niman]

Updated: 7:28 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 | Posted: 7:28 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016

9 more Indiana turkey farms infected with bird flu

 

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The Associated Press

HUNTINGBURG, Ind. — 

Birds from nine more commercial turkey farms in Indiana have tested positive for bird flu, and officials were trying Saturday to determine the strain of the highly contagious virus.

The nine farms are located in Dubois County, Indiana, about 70 miles from Louisville, Kentucky, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health said in a statement.

Authorities on Friday confirmed another commercial flock in Dubois County was infected with the H7N8 strain, which is different than the H5N2 virus that led to the deaths of about 48 million turkeys and chickens last summer.

All of the new infections are located within a control area set up around the first farm, the statement said. The control area, which is under quarantine, has been expanded to four other Indiana counties, the board said.

Denise Derrer, spokeswoman for the Indiana board, said officials are still trying to determine how many birds are affected on the nine farms covered by the announcement Saturday. Officials had begun euthanizing birds at most of the new sites, the board said. All 60,000 turkeys on the first farm have been euthanized.

Research has shown that wild birds' northern migration introduced the H5N2 virus, which began to accelerate from farm to farm in the spring. But it isn't clear whether the mild winter weather played a role in the current outbreak, state and federal officials said. The highly pathogenic H7N8 virus has not yet been found in wild birds, suggesting that the virus could have developed in wild birds that spent the winter in southern Indiana, USDA spokeswoman Andrea McNally said Friday.

"We may know more once the remaining work on virus sequencing is completed, likely sometime next week," she said.

There's also no indication why H7N8 surfaced during winter months, but officials have said bird flu — any strain of it — could resurface anytime.

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. Dubois County, about 70 miles west of Louisville, Kentucky, is Indiana's top poultry grower with 1.4 million turkeys, Derrer said Saturday.

The H7N8 strain is highly contagious for birds; the USDA said no human infections with the viral strain have been detected.

Gov. Mike Pence met Saturday with state and local officials at an incident command center in Jasper. Pence emphasized in a statement after the briefing that the poultry industry is vital to Indiana and authorities are "bringing all necessary resources to deal with this situation."

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/ap/us/turkey-company-says-its-working-with-officials/np6RZ/

[niman]

Over 200,000 turkeys to be euthanized

By Matthew Crane -

 

January 16, 2016

Gov. Mike Pence met with county and state officials at the Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing at VUJC Saturday to discuss the Avian Influenza infection impacting Dubois County. In the photo from left: Gov. Pence, Dubois County Sheriff Donny Lamper and Dubois County Emergency Management Director Tammy Humbert.

The number of turkeys that will have to be euthanized in Dubois County has increased to over 200,000.

Governor Mike Pence visited Dubois County Saturday afternoon and released the information during a meeting with local news media.

According to Pence, who had just met with county officials as well as representatives from the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Indiana Homeland Security, and other state agencies, samples from two other sites had shown a preliminary indication of the H7N8 avian flu virus. Those sites are within the 6.2-mile testing area established around the Kalb farm where the first infection was found Thursday.

The APHIS National Veterinary Service Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, is in the process of confirming the presence of the virus in the samples.

“I just finished a briefing on the circumstances involving the avian flu that has now been detected at a number of sites,” Pence said. “When we determined that there was one site identified, I authorized the deployment of the full resources of the State of Indiana to contain and to address this situation. There have been additional sites that have been preliminarily identified as having birds that have contracted the avian flu. The Board of Animal Health is in the lead here. And, we have the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Indiana State Department of Health will be on site soon. The Indiana Department of Corrections is on site currently as well.”

Low-level offenders in the department of corrections are assisting with the cleanup of the euthanized turkeys.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the governor explained well over 200,000 turkeys will be depopulated.

“We have a robust poultry industry in Indiana, and that is nowhere more true than in this area of the state and Dubois County has an extraordinary poultry industry of which we are very proud,” he said. “I am extremely gratefull to Tammy [Dubois County Emergency Management Director], to the sheriff, to the whole public safety team here and to the commissioners; all who have leaned into this effort.”

According to the governor, since the small incident that occurred in Whitley County last year, the state has been preparing for a larger incident of the infection. “I think the response that Dubois County is seeing today is a result of good solid planning at every level,” he explained.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security is one of several agencies that have taken up residency at the Joint Emergency Operations Center at CTIM.

Tammy Humbert, the Emergency Management Director, is the incident commander for the operation that at this point includes representatives from county, state and soon, federal agencies — the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be on site soon. An operational command center hosting all the agencies has been established at the Center for Manufacturing, Innovation and Manufacturing on the VUJC campus.

According to Humbert, VUJC Dean Dr. Chris Gray offered the use of the building’s second floor as a Joint Emergency Operations Center early Friday. The location was ideal due to the multiple conference rooms and highspeed internet available at the location.

The multi-agency response will likely operate from the location for several weeks as this situation continues to unfold.

The best thing the public can do, according to Humbert and county officials, is to stay away from the area impacted by the infection.

In regards to the impact on humans, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that this particular strain of avian flu is unlikely to affect humans.

All the animals at the impacted operations are being culled and then disposed of on site. None are allowed to leave the quarantined area.

The Purdue Extension released information on the flu that can be downloaded here AvianInfluenzaFAQ2016.docx.

The economic impact of this infection is hard to measure at this point; 200,000 birds is a relatively small amount of the total turkeys produced in a county that stands as the number turkey producer in the state. However, the county has acknowledged that the impact will have far reaching effects beyond the farm operators.

During the meeting today, Gov. Pence indicated the state was going to work with those operators and farmers impacted by the infection.

“The state of Indiana is going to work in full partnership with all of our producers to ensure that all the resources that are available through the USDA are secured to mitigate the financial impact here,” Pence said. “Right now, the focus is on containing it [the infection] and resolving it.”

 

http://www.duboiscountyfreepress.com/over-200000-turkeys-to-be-euthanized/

[niman]

Updated: 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 | Posted: 9:21 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016

9 more Indiana turkey farms infected with bird flu

 

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The Associated Press

HUNTINGBURG, Ind. — 

Turkeys tested positive for bird flu at nine more Indiana farms near the location where authorities first confirmed a strain different from the one that ravaged the U.S. poultry industry last summer, Indiana authorities said on Saturday.

Farmers began euthanizing turkeys at the new farms even before final results of whether the birds were infected with the H7N8 strain, said Denise Derrer, spokeswoman for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. Final results are expected soon from a government laboratory in Ames, Iowa.

The nine farms are located in Dubois County, about 70 miles from Louisville, Kentucky. All of the new infections are within a quarantine area set up around the first farm and that area has been expanded to four neighboring Indiana counties — Martin, Orange, Crawford and Daviess.

Confirmation of new bird flu cases alarmed industry officials after the rapid spread of the H5N2 virus last year led to the deaths of about 48 million turkeys and chickens, and drove egg prices higher.

"We are very concerned and trying to figure out strategies to contain it," Derrer said of the outbreak.

She said officials are trying to determine how many birds will have to be euthanized at the nine farms. The state animal health board website said one of the farms had 12,000 turkeys and another 23,500. It did not give figures for the other seven. All 60,000 turkeys at the first farm have been euthanized.

It isn't clear whether the mild winter weather played a role in the current outbreak of the virus, state and federal officials said. The H7N8 virus has not yet been found in wild birds, suggesting that the virus could have developed in wild birds that spent the winter in southern Indiana, USDA spokeswoman Andrea McNally said Friday.

Research has shown that wild birds' northern migration introduced the H5N2 virus, which began to accelerate from farm to farm last spring.

While the H7N8 strain is highly contagious for birds, the USDA said no human infections from the viral strain have been detected.

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. Dubois County is Indiana's top poultry producer with 1.4 million turkeys, she said.

The Indiana farm where the strain was first found is associated with Farbest Farms, a company that produces about 15 million turkeys a year and has contract growers in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Derrer declined to say if the new infections also were on farms linked to the company.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence met Saturday with state and local officials at an incident command center set up since the outbreak. Pence emphasized in a statement that the poultry industry is vital to Indiana and authorities are "bringing all necessary resources to deal with this situation."

___

Associated Press writers Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, David Pitt in Des Moines, Iowa, and Erica Hunzinger in Chicago contributed to this report.

http://www.wsoctv.com/ap/ap/us/turkey-company-says-its-working-with-officials/np6RZ/

[niman]

Ten HPAI Cases Confirmed in Indiana Turkey Flocks - 

01/16/2016

A total of ten cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in turkey flock ... Read More »

 

https://farbestfoods.com/news/

Edited January 17, 2016 by niman

[niman]

Ten HPAI Cases Confirmed in Indiana Turkey Flocks

January 16, 2016 01:57 PM

By Jim Wiesemeyer & Roger Bernard

 

Print Page

Strain from initial case different than ones which caused the major HPAI outbreak in 2015

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NOTE: This column is copyrighted material; therefore reproduction or retransmission is prohibited under U.S. copyright laws.

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A total of ten cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed in turkey flocks in Indiana. On Saturday, nine more commercial turkey farms in Dubois County tested positive for HPAI -- besides the initial case confirmed Friday, Jan. 15. Ten commercial turkey operations are now dealing with the bird flu. All infected flocks are located in Dubois County. State health officials say further testing is underway to determine the virus type -- the initial case was determined to be H7N8 HPAI.  Link to a Food and Agriculture Organization release which answers frequently asked questions on avian influenza and gives biosecurity and risk-management recommendations. Link to Indiana Board of Animal Health.   All of the new infections are located within a control area set up around the first farm, a statement said. The control area, which is under quarantine, has been expanded to four other Indiana counties, the State Board of Animal Health said. Denise Derrer, spokeswoman for the Indiana board, said officials are still trying to determine how many birds are affected on the nine farms covered by the announcement Saturday. Officials had begun euthanizing birds at most of the new sites, the board said. All 60,000 turkeys on the first farm have been euthanized. The initial case of H7N8 HPAI was found in a commercial turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana. This is a different strain of HPAI than the strains that caused the 2015 outbreak, according to USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). There are no known cases of H7N8 infections in humans. According to a USDA agricultural census from 2012, Dubois County was home to some 1.4 million turkeys and was the leading county in Indiana for poultry production. “It is a significant virus that does need an immediate response in order to contain it and prevent its spread to other facilities,” said Dr. T. J. Myers, associate deputy administrator in USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), during a conference call. Preliminary tests indicate the H7N8 strain found in Indiana was of North American origin, according to Myers. USDA will conduct diagnostics to seek a cause for the mutation of the virus, he said. The company behind the commercial turkey farm in southern Indiana where bird flu was found said it is working closely with state and federal officials. Huntingburg-based Farbest Farms said in a news release Friday that its surveillance protocol for bird flu quickly detected the H7N8 strain. Farbest Foods Inc. is headquartered in nearby Jasper, Indiana. The farm in Indiana has 60,000 turkeys housed in 10 barns on the site but the virus has only been found in one barn. The farmer first noticed reduced water consumption by the birds and then found dead birds in the barn, according to Denise Derrer with Indiana’s Board of Animal Health – Derrer said Saturday that all 60,000 turkeys on the farm had been euthanized. "These viruses are always mutating and changing," Derrer said of the farm identified as Farbest Foods by the Dubois County Herald on Friday. "We don't believe any virus has come off the farm. We want to be safe." "This finding of highly pathogenic H7N8 is unique to Indiana and the nation," state veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, said in a Indiana Joint Information Center press release. “This strain is unrelated to those identified in the upper Midwest in 2015, nor is it related to the HPAI case identified in a northeastern Indiana backyard poultry flock that was affected last May.” Derrer said all movements of birds, products and materials like poultry litter and egg shells within the approximately 6 mile containment area can’t be done unless the farm making the movement has tested negative for the virus and a permit has been issued by the Board of Animal Health. Testing began as early as Thursday afternoon. “We started notifying commercial operations then,” she says. “Those tests are ongoing through Purdue and we’re getting negative test results even as we speak. We’ve not found any virus outside the farm where the initial infection was found.” Samples from the turkey flock, which experienced increased mortality, were tested at the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University, which is a part of USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and confirmed by USDA Friday morning. Facts and figures. Indiana’s poultry industry ranks fourth nationally in turkey production, first in duck production and third in eggs. It also is a significant producer of broiler chickens. Avian influenza doesn’t present a food safety risk. All shipments of poultry and eggs are tested to ensure the absence of avian influenza before moving into the food supply. The Centers for Disease Control considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low. As for potential market impacts other than the export market, analysts said that by itself, the outbreak should not have any impact on the egg market, and little to no effect on broiler supply/demand. The industry is in much better position this year to control disease spread vs last year. APHIS is working closely with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health on a joint incident response. State officials quarantined the affected premises and depopulation of birds on the premises has already begun. Depopulation prevents the spread of the disease. Birds from the flock will not enter the food system. Workers from multiple state agencies descended Friday on the two-employee farm along East Dubois Road Northwest, in Dubois, The Herald reported. Squads of emergency responders included employees of the State Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana State Poultry Association and the Indiana Department of Corrections, which has placed a group of prison inmates on work release from a nearby correctional facility, Derrer said. The use of prison labor, she said, was approved by Indiana officials in 2015 as part of an emergency response strategy that requires immediate manpower in rural areas where labor is scarce, she said. "We do have a number of low-level offenders coming in for help," Derrer said. The turkeys will be euthanized by a modified version of a "giant fire extinguisher," she said, adding that equipment is already owned by the poultry farmer, with extra units being brought in by the USDA. "They will go in and foam it up to a level above the birds' heads and the birds can't breathe." To further contain the virus, turkey carcasses will be left to compost in piles inside the barns, a process sped up by catalytic agents, she added. Early testing at neighboring poultry farms has produced no additional cases of infection, she added. "The good news is this producer took very quick action and started working on depopulation effortslast night," Derrer said. "We are on high alert." As part of existing avian influenza response plans, Federal and State partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area. The rapid testing and response in this incident is the result of months of planning with local, state, federal and industry partners to ensure the most efficient and effective coordination. Since the previous HPAI detections in 2015, APHIS and its state and industry partners have learned valuable lessons to help implement stronger preparedness and response capabilities. Federal and state officials have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of last year’s outbreaks. Dr. Myers said trucking and other traffic between facilities may have helped the virus jump from farm to farm, and that wild birds had likely played a role in introducing the flu to commercial flocks. He also said the USDA believed that the virus could travel on its own in the air “very, very short distances.” In July, the federal agency began a yearlong program of testing wild birds, Dr. Myers said, and had found some of the roughly 25,000 examined so far were carrying H7N8 strains of the virus. All of those, however, were considered to be carrying “low pathogenic” strains, meaning the risk of widespread infection was not high. The vaccines that the agency had purchases for avian influenza are for H5 strains, because it was not anticipating H7 cases, he added. USDA has stockpiled millions of doses of a new vaccine designed to fight the 2015 strain, which is different than the one in Indiana, Myers said. Meanwhile, Kentucky moved swiftly to re-institute recent restrictions on bird sales and movement statewide after confirmation of the new H7N8 bird flu virus. “We are taking these steps out of an abundance of caution,” Kentucky state veterinarian Robert C. Stout said in a release. "We will do everything we can to keep our commercial and backyard poultry industries secure.” Comments: Friday's outbreak has yet to affect wholesale turkey prices, which never recovered from highs in the wake of last year's bird flu epidemic. Now the focus will shift to reactions from US trade partners, as some still have bans on US poultry linked to the 2015 outbreak and so for some countries, this situation will not change any trade flows. However, others that have reduced or removed their trade blocks could opt to re-impose some restrictions. But odds are with those countries, the bans could be more targeted and limited to Indiana or potentially just the area within Indiana where the current case has been found. This situation will change quickly. Just hours after USDA confirmation of a new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in an Indiana commercial turkey flock, some countries have already put trade bans in place, with several blocking poultry from the entire state. Here are countries USDA has confirmed as having put new restrictions in place on U.S> poultry as of Jan. 15 (Note: South Korea on Saturday announced it was banning U.S. poultry, with details still awaited): Japan Indiana - Poultry slaughtered on all production dates which originated from or passed through or is slaughtered/processed within the State of Indiana is ineligible. Ukraine: Poultry and poultry meat products derived from birds originating from the State of Indiana that were slaughtered on or after January 15, 2016 are ineligible. Kazakhstan Poultry originating from Dubois County, Indiana that were slaughtered on or after January 15, 2016 is ineligible.  Poultry products that are heat-treated according to certain specifications are exempt from this restriction. South Africa Poultry and poultry products derived from birds originating from the State of Indiana slaughtered on or after January 15, 2016 are ineligible. http://www.profarmer.com/article/ten-hpai-cases-confirmed-in-indiana-turkey-flocks-naa-jim-wiesemeyer--roger-bernard/