High Path H7N8 In Dubois County Indiana Turkey Farm

[niman]

Name of farm is Farbest Foods

https://farbestfoods.com/

Edited January 16, 2016 by niman

[niman]

Avian Flu Detected in Southwest Indiana

01/15/2016

HUNTINGBURG, Ind. – As a result of ongoing screening and surveillance testing for avian influenza and other poultry diseases in turkey flocks, according to National Poultry Improvement Plan protocols, a form of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza H7N8 (HPAI) has been detected in turkeys located in Dubois County. This is the first finding of HPAI in commercial turkeys in the state of Indiana.

Farbest Farms, Inc. and the turkey industry are working closely with state and federal officials to keep the public informed and to be sure the best possible steps are being taken to protect the public and animal health. Federal and state officials will be working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in the nearby area, following the existing avian influenza response plan for Indiana.

Samples from the affected flock were tested initially be Farbest Farms, Inc., then confirmatory testing was done by the Avian Diagnostic Lab at Purdue University. Those findings have been confirmed by the APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa. APHIS and the Indiana State Board of Animal Health have initiated the incident command response, and APHIS will assist in depopulating the remaining birds on the farm to prevent the spread of the disease. Birds from the affected flock have not and will not enter the food system.

Farbest Farms can assure the public there has been no impact on the safety of our food products. The Center for Disease Control considers the risk to people from the HPAI H7N8 infection to be low. The quick detection by our surveillance protocol has worked as intended and will help protect our flocks and keep our food safe.

For more information about the ongoing avian influenza disease incident in the United States, visit the APHIS website at www.aphis.usda.gov and/or contact Denise Derrer at the Indiana Board of Animal Health at 317-544-2414.

https://farbestfoods.com/avian-flu-detected-in-southwest-indiana/

[niman]

Farbest Farms

This operation works under stringent guidelines in overseeing the growth of nearly 15 million turkeys per year through more than 200 contract growers and an increasing number of brooder hubs in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

More than 50 of Farbest Farms’ contract turkey growers and a number of new brooder hubs have been added to the Farbest Farms family in the past few years to meet growing demand for our products. Computer-controlled, tunnel-ventilated grow-out houses ensure the best environment for our turkeys and assist in providing a consistent supply of healthy, live turkeys for processing at our two Farbest Foods processing plants.

The Farbest Farms team works to ensure that best care management practices are followed in every facet of the growing operations including farm safety and security, biosecurity, environmental management and animal welfare.

To meet and sustain quality and health standards, our flock supervisors and office staff assist and oversee growers in a variety of areas:

• Building and equipment setup
• Securing poults from outside sources
• Brooding turkeys
• Growing turkeys
• Litter management
• Feed orders
• Flock settlements
• Bird health programs
  https://farbestfoods.com/farbest-facilities/farbest-farms/

[niman]

An outbreak of avian flu is confirmed in northern Dubois County.

The farm, northeast of Jasper, is where 60,000 turkeys were euthanized Friday as a precaution.

It was first reported to officials Wednesday at a commercial turkey farm, and the clean up is now underway.

Neighboring farmers within a six mile radius say they're on lock down as crews work to eliminate the bird flu in the area.

They say the Farbest facility could be shut down for at least six months until it's clean.

Our media partner News Now Dubois County says the farm is owned by Steve Kalb and his father. They raise turkeys for Farbest Foods of Huntingburg.

The farm is under quarantine as workers hose down and decontaminate gear and trucks.

Farbest says there has been no impact on the safety of food products.

They say the quick detection by surveillance protocol worked as intended.

Steven Sander, a neighboring turkey farmer, says bird flu is brought to the region by Canada Geese, and spread by humans.

“You get it on your foot and carry it in there,” he says, “That's why before you step foot in that building, you're washing your shoes and switching shoes inside the building, and putting a different outfit on.”

Kalb says he is voluntarily remaining on the farm Friday to be absolutely certain the flu does not spread.

Officials from the CDC consider this outbreak of avian flu a low risk to humans.

http://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/local-news/dubois-co-turkey-farm-euthanizes-60000-birds

[niman]

Bird flu discovered at Dubois Co. turkey farm

Posted: Jan 15, 2016 12:51 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 15, 2016 6:21 PM EST

Posted by Sean Edmondson, Digital Content Producer

CONNECT

 

 

Crews on the scene of a Dubois County property

 

INDIANAPOLIS (WFIE) -

Federal officials say a bird flu virus that is different from the one that ravaged turkey and chicken farms last summer has been found in Indiana.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday the H7N8 flu strain had been confirmed at a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County.

According to Kenneth Eck from the Purdue Extension Office, the farm is located on East Dubois Road. It belongs to a man named Steve Kalb. Eck says the farm, which is a contracted with Farbest Farms, is a big operation in Dubois County. 

The strain is highly contagious for birds, not humans. The Centers for Disease Control considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.

A company veterinarian delivered samples from the flock to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory for testing, after several hundred birds died.

“This finding of highly pathogenic H7N8 is unique to Indiana and the nation,” said Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM. “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.”

Last year's H5N2 virus outbreak began spreading widely in the spring, not winter, and led to the deaths of 48 million birds.

Indiana Board of Animal Health spokeswoman Denise Derrer says the farm has about 60,000 turkeys and the flock is being euthanized to prevent the disease from spreading.

She said a quarantine is in place for commercial poultry farms and backyard flocks within a nearly 6-mile radius.

Indiana’s poultry industry ranks fourth nationally in turkey production, first in duck production, third in eggs, and is a significant producer of broiler chickens. The poultry industry employs more than 14,000 Hoosiers and is valued at $2.5 billion.

State health officials say this is not a food safety risk. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat.

Kalb says he is voluntarily remaining on the farm Friday to be absolutely certain the flu does not spread.

Officials from the CDC consider this outbreak of avian flu a low risk to humans.

http://www.wave3.com/story/30976945/bird-flu-discovered-at-dubois-co-turkey-farm

Edited January 16, 2016 by niman

[niman]

Authorities try to detect source of Indiana bird flu outbreak

All 60,000 turkeys on one farm have been euthanized.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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HUNTINGBURG, Ind. —The company behind the commercial turkey farm in southern Indiana where bird flu was found says it is working closely with state and federal officials.

Huntingburg-based Farbest Farms said Friday that its surveillance protocol for bird flu quickly detected the H7N8 strain.

 

The strain was confirmed at a farm in Dubois County after there was a surge in turkey deaths, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

All 60,000 turkeys on the farm have been euthanized, Indiana Board of Animal Health spokeswoman Denise Derrer said Saturday.

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

The H7N8 strain is different than the H5N2 virus that led to the deaths of about 48 million turkeys and chickens last summer.

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.

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/01/16/authorities-try-to-detect-source-of-indiana-bird-flu-outbreak/

[niman]

USDA: New Avian Influenza Strain Found in Indiana

JANUARY 15, 2016 11:21 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new strain of the deadly avian influenza virus has been found in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana, according to USDA.

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The agency announced the news Friday. The farm has been quarantined, and officials have already begun depopulating the flock. According to the Indiana Board of Animal Health, there are 65 commercial poultry flocks within a 10-kilometer radius of the affected operation.

“This finding of highly pathogenic H7N8 is unique to Indiana and the nation,” said Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM. “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.”

The previous strain, known as H5N2, resulted in the depopulation of more than 49 million birds, including chickens and turkeys. It is thought to spread via wild migratory waterfowl and has not been detected in a U.S. flock since June 2015.

USDA now has a vaccine for that older strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N2), but U.S. poultry producers have been reluctant to use it; they are concerned that vaccine worries will cause countries to close their doors to imports of U.S. chicken.

Indiana state officials say they are taking this new avian flu outbreak seriously. 

“Indiana is one of the largest poultry states in America, and I have directed all relevant agencies to bring the full resources of the state of Indiana to bear on containing and resolving the issue as quickly as possible," said Governor Mike Pence. "Multiple state agencies have been heavily focused for nearly a year on the necessary steps in this type of event, including 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, Indiana State Poultry Association, and several private sector partners. Hoosiers can be assured that we are taking all precautions to contain the situation and minimize the effects to Indiana’s robust poultry industry.”

Such disease outbreaks can be financially and emotionally devastating. for producers and local economies. Economically, the 2015 bird flu epidemic cost an estimated $1 billion, with Minnesota and Iowa the most signficantly affected.

According to the Indiana Board of Animal Health, the state's $2.5 billion poultry industry ranks fourth nationally in turkey production, first in duck production, third in eggs, and is a significant producer of broiler chickens. It also employs more than 14,000 people.

USDA urged all poultry producers, regardless of whether they manage a small backyard flock or a big commercial chicken or turkey farm, to renew their biosecurity efforts. (Producers can find a biosecurity self-assessment and more information by clicking here.)

http://www.agweb.com/article/usda-new-avian-influenza-strain-found-in-indiana-naa-alison-rice/