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Posted

State of Indiana Response to Avian Flu in Dubois County

1/22/16

 

New information is in bold italics.

 

 

DEVELOPING 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 are 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.

 

There were no new positive tests overnight, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. All commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least one round of negative tests, and will begin a planned second round of tests in the next 24 hours. Testing will continue for several more weeks within the control and surveillance zone to ensure that no H7N8 remains in the area.

 

Birds have been 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 were NOT infected with H7N8 have been depopulated and disposed of in a landfill. The facility was 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.

 

Previous depopulation tallies have been based on estimated flock sizes. Final reporting has been completed on all sites, with 258,325 turkeys and 156,178 chickens affected.

 

State and federal teams have visited 1,985 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 96 backyard flocks have been found, and sampling of these flocks continues. All 76 small flock samples tested so far have been negative. After initial testing, these flocks will be retested in 14 days.

 

Several mental health treatment options are available to those affected:

-          Phone hotline offered by Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper, at 812-482-3020. If the call is made after hours, the caller should press 0.

-          A 24-hour phone hotline through Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center, at 812-827-6222.

-          Daily group sessions are available at the command post from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and at the staging area from 6 to 8 p.m. Services will be provided as long as needed.

 

RESPONSE

 

A total of 421 state, federal and local responders are working in Dubois County on surveillance and response efforts.

 

STATE RESPONSE

 

A Unified Incident Command Post (UCP) has been established in Jasper, Indiana. The post is staffed by the District 1 Incident Management Team, along with federal and local partners.

 

State Agencies supporting activities in the UCP: The State Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Integrated Public Safety Commission, Indiana State Police and mental health services teams from the Family and Social Services Administration.

 

Other organizations supporting activities in the UCP: United States Department of Agriculture, Indiana University, Vincennes University Jasper Campus, Indiana State Poultry Association, Dubois County Emergency Management Agency, Dubois County Health Department, Dubois Water Utility, City of Jasper, Dubois County Highway Department, and all Dubois County fire departments.

 

State Emergency Operations Center: Under the leadership of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Indiana Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated at Level III and will remain activated 24 hours a day to monitor conditions and provide resource support to local county emergency agencies.

 

Other organizations supporting activities: Purdue Extension

 

FEDERAL RESPONSE

 

The United States Department of Agriculture has approximately 87 representatives, along with private contractors, in Dubois County assisting with state and local efforts.  A National Incident Management Team is in place, with additional staff continuing to arrive in Indiana to help coordinate efforts.

 

PUBLIC ADVISORIES

 

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. Officials are not aware of any public health significance with this virus. Human infection from an H7 virus is uncommon, but can cause some conjunctivitis and/or upper respiratory tract symptoms. Human health agencies will be monitoring workers and others in contact with birds to monitor for illness.

 

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; lack of coordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at: http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.

 

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.

Posted

Affected Counties 2016

 

County & Flock #     

Date Confirmed Positive

Number of Poultry

Type of Operation

StatusType 
 Dubois 1

Jan. 14, 2016

62,109Commercial TurkeyDepopulated H7N8
 Dubois 2Jan. 16, 2016  37,798Commercial TurkeyDepopulated 

LPAI 
H7N8

 Dubois 3 Jan. 16, 2016 28,751Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

 Dubois 4 Jan. 16, 2016 12,392Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI
H7N8

 Dubois 5 Jan. 16, 2016 22,227Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

Dubois 5a

Dangerous Contact
Not Infected**

156,178

Commercial Layers

Depopulated

Negative
 Dubois 6 Jan. 16, 2016 24,732Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

H7
Suspect

 Dubois 7 Jan. 16, 2016 11,705Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

 Dubois 8 Jan. 16, 2016 36,695Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

 Dubois 9 Jan. 16, 201616,591Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

 Dubois 10 Jan. 16, 2016 5,325Commercial TurkeyDepopulated

LPAI 
H7N8

UPDATED: Jan. 22, 2016 at 8:45 a.m.
**This negative flock is depopulated because of its proximity to infected turkeys.

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: 258,325

Commercial Chickens (Layers): 156,178

_________________
Total: 414,503

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

State of Indiana Response to Avian Flu in Dubois County

1/25/16

 

New information is in bold italics.

 

Note to media – the next situation report will be published Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On January 15, it was announced that confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza were found in Dubois County. State, local and federal agencies are 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.

 

CURRENT SITUATION

 

There were no new positive tests in the last several days, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. All commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least two rounds of negative tests. Testing will continue for several more weeks within the control and surveillance zone to ensure that no H7N8 remains in the area.

 

Birds have been 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 were NOT infected with H7N8 have been depopulated and disposed of in a landfill. The facility was 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.

 

Previous depopulation tallies have been based on estimated flock sizes. Final reporting has been completed on all sites, with 258,325 turkeys and 156,178 chickens affected.

 

State and federal teams have visited 1,945 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. (This number corrects the total residences visited from Friday, which was incorrect) A total of 104 backyard flocks have been found, and sampling of these flocks continues. All small flock samples tested so far have been negative. After initial testing, these flocks will be retested in 14 days.

 

Several mental health treatment options are available to those affected:

-          Phone hotline offered by Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper, at 812-482-3020. If the call is made after hours, the caller should press 0.

-          A 24-hour phone hotline through Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center, at 812-827-6222.

 

RESPONSE

 

A total of 254 state, federal and local responders are working in Dubois County on surveillance and response efforts.

 

STATE RESPONSE

 

A Unified Incident Command Post (UCP) has been established in Jasper, Indiana. The post is staffed by the District 1 Incident Management Team, along with federal and local partners.

 

State Agencies supporting activities in the UCP: The State Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Integrated Public Safety Commission, Indiana State Police and mental health services teams from the Family and Social Services Administration.

 

Other organizations supporting activities in the UCP: United States Department of Agriculture, Vincennes University Jasper Campus, Indiana State Poultry Association, Dubois County Emergency Management Agency, Dubois County Health Department, Dubois Water Utility, City of Jasper, Dubois County Highway Department, and all Dubois County fire departments.

 

State Emergency Operations Center: Under the leadership of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Indiana Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated at Level III and will remain activated 24 hours a day to monitor conditions and provide resource support to local county emergency agencies.

 

Other organizations supporting activities: Purdue Extension

 

FEDERAL RESPONSE

 

The United States Department of Agriculture has approximately 88 representatives, along with private contractors, in Dubois County assisting with state and local efforts.  A National Incident Management Team is in place, with additional staff continuing to arrive in Indiana to help coordinate efforts.

 

PUBLIC ADVISORIES

 

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. Officials are not aware of any public health significance with this virus. Human infection from an H7 virus is uncommon, but can cause some conjunctivitis and/or upper respiratory tract symptoms. Human health agencies will be monitoring workers and others in contact with birds to monitor for illness.

 

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; lack of coordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at: http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.

 

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.

Posted
  INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH

Office of the State Veterinarian
Discovery Hall, Suite 100
1202 East 38th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46205-2898
Phone: 317/544-2400
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

New Recordkeeping Requirements for Indiana Poultry Purchases, Sales

 

INDIANAPOLIS (27 January 2016)—Last October, in response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza findings throughout the Upper Midwest, Indiana adopted new recordkeeping requirements for Hoosier poultry owners buying and selling birds. At the time, members of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) did not foresee the discovery of the avian influenza H7N8 virus in Dubois County in January—which reinforces the need for good recordkeeping.

 

Recordkeeping Requirements

Under the new law, all sellers and buyers of poultry in Indiana must maintain records of flock additions and removals for 3 years. Records must include: names and addresses of buyer and seller, sale date, breed, sex, number of animals and reason for movement. This state requirement applies to all retail, swap meet, flea market, auction and private sales, including barters or trades.

 

“The finding of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Southern Indiana reinforces the need for the new recordkeeping rule,” said Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM. “In a disease event of this magnitude, the Board of Animal Health needs the ability to trace bird movements to ensure the disease has not spread. That is why we added poultry to Indiana’s Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule.”

 

Poultry Entering Indiana

For those who purchase birds from out-of-state sources, BOAH reminds buyers that all poultry entering Indiana must have either a certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI) or a National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) form VS 9-3. If chicks are purchased from an NPIP-certified hatchery, then the chicks can enter Indiana with a copy of the NPIP form VS 9-3.

 

Information about Indiana’s poultry entry and recordkeeping requirements is available on BOAH’s website at: www.in.gov/boah/2721.htm.

 

Healthy Birds Hotline

Poultry owners are encouraged to monitor their birds for any signs of unusual illness or death. Report sick or dead poultry by calling the Healthy Birds Hotline: 866-536-7593. This toll-free hotline will connect poultry owners with a state or federal veterinarian who can determine if an illness needs more follow-up.

 

National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)

Poultry owners may certify their flocks in the NPIP program. For information about NPIP in Indiana, visit the Indiana State Poultry Association’s website at: www.inpoultry.com/npip/ or contact the association at: 765-494-8517 or[email protected].

Posted

State of Indiana Response to Avian Flu in Dubois County

1/28/16

 

New information is in bold italics.

 

Note to media – the next situation report will be published Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016.

 

BACKGROUND

 

On January 15, it was announced that confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza were found in Dubois County. State, local and federal agencies are 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 were in Dubois County.

 

CURRENT SITUATION

 

There were no new positive tests since January 16, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. All commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least two rounds of negative tests. Testing will continue for several more weeks within the control and surveillance zone to ensure that no H7N8 remains in the area.

 

Birds have been depopulated on all ten premises. Decontamination, cleaning and disposal processes continue on all 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 were NOT infected with H7N8 have been depopulated and disposed of in a landfill. The facility was 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.

 

Previous depopulation tallies have been based on estimated flock sizes. Final reporting has been completed on all sites, with 258,325 turkeys and 156,178 chickens affected.

 

State and federal teams have visited 1,945 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 105 backyard flocks have been found, and initial sampling of these flocks has been completed. All small flock samples tested so far have been negative. After initial testing, these flocks will be retested in 14 days.

 

Several mental health treatment options are available to those affected:

-          Phone hotline offered by Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper, at 812-482-3020. If the call is made after hours, the caller should press 0.

-          A 24-hour phone hotline through Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center, at 812-827-6222.

 

RESPONSE

 

A total of 266 state, federal and local responders are working in Dubois County on surveillance and response efforts.

 

STATE RESPONSE

 

A Unified Incident Command Post (UCP) has been established in Jasper, Indiana. The post is currently staffed by the District 1 Incident Management Team (IMT), along with federal and local partners. The District 1 IMT will be transferring operations to the District 10 IMT on Friday, January 29. With depopulation complete, much of the response staff and equipment is being demobilized. Some staff and equipment will remain in Dubois County to oversee continued testing, composting and disinfection.

 

State Agencies supporting activities in the UCP: The State Board of Animal Health, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Indiana State Police.

 

Other organizations supporting activities in the UCP: United States Department of Agriculture, Vincennes University Jasper Campus, Indiana State Poultry Association, Dubois County Emergency Management Agency and Dubois County Health Department.

 

State Emergency Operations Center: Under the leadership of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), the Indiana Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated at Level III and will remain activated 24 hours a day to monitor conditions and provide resource support.

  

FEDERAL RESPONSE

 

The United States Department of Agriculture has approximately 83 representatives, along with private contractors, in Dubois County assisting with state and local efforts.  A National Incident Management Team is in place, with additional staff continuing to arrive in Indiana to help coordinate efforts. The current National Incident Management Team will be transferring operations to another team on Monday, February 1.

 

PUBLIC ADVISORIES

 

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. Officials are not aware of any public health significance with this virus. Human infection from an H7 virus is uncommon, but can cause some conjunctivitis and/or upper respiratory tract symptoms. Human health agencies will be monitoring workers and others in contact with birds to monitor for illness.

 

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; lack of coordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at: http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.

 

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.

Posted (edited)

State of Indiana Response to Avian Flu in Dubois County

2/4/16

 

New information is in bold italics.

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

On January 15, it was announced that confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza were found in Dubois County. State, local and federal agencies are 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 were in Dubois County.

 

CURRENT SITUATION

 

There have been no new positive tests since January 16, but aggressive testing continues inside the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone. All commercial poultry farms located in the control area and the surveillance zone have completed at least two rounds of negative tests. Testing will continue within the control and surveillance zone to ensure that no H7N8 remains in the area.

 

The Indiana State Board of Animal Health expects to release the 10-km control area and additional 10-km surveillance zone on Monday, Feb. 22, provided no new HPAI positives are identified. This date marks the end of a 21-day fallow period, as prescribed by USDA, following the establishment of all compost piles. 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.

 

Birds have been depopulated on all ten premises. 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 were NOT infected with H7N8 have been depopulated and disposed of in a landfill. The facility was 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.

 

Previous depopulation tallies have been based on estimated flock sizes. Final reporting has been completed on all sites, with 258,325 turkeys and 156,178 chickens affected.

 

State and federal teams have visited 1,945 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. The second round of testing of the 105 backyard flocks will commence next week to fulfill their testing requirements prior to the release of the 10-km control area. All small flock samples tested so far have been negative.

 

The Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University has run more than 2,100 avian flu tests since this incident began. (All negative to date; testing continues daily.)

 

Testing and surveillance of wild, migratory birds in the region is being done by Indiana Department of Natural Resources and USDA Wildlife Services.

 

Several mental health treatment options are available to those affected:

-Phone hotline offered by Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper, at 812-482-3020. If the call is made after hours, the caller should press 0.

-A 24-hour phone hotline through Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Center, at 812-827-6222.

 

RESPONSE

 

A total of 111 state, federal and local responders are working in Dubois County on surveillance and response efforts.

 

Equipment and resources staged at the Dubois County Fairgrounds have been demobilized. All facilities used on the grounds have been power-washed and disinfected to eliminate any possibility of virus being present. The fairgrounds has been cleared for normal use, and presents no health risk to humans, livestock, pets or birds.

 

A smaller repository of depopulation equipment has been retained at another location, for rapid response, if needed.

 

STATE RESPONSE

 

A Unified Incident Command Post (UCP) has been established in Jasper, Indiana. The post has been down-sized to reflect the completion of response activity in the county. The District 10 IMT completed duties on Feb. 1. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health continues to be the lead agency. Other state agencies remain on-call, as needed, through the State Emergency Operations Center, which has returned to normal daily operations.

   

FEDERAL RESPONSE

 

The United States Department of Agriculture has approximately 81 representatives, along with private contractors, in Dubois County assisting with state and local efforts.  A National Incident Management Team is in place to assist the state of Indiana in final response needs.

 

PUBLIC ADVISORIES

 

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. Officials are not aware of any public health significance with this virus. Human infection from an H7 virus is uncommon, but can cause some conjunctivitis and/or upper respiratory tract symptoms. Human health agencies will be monitoring workers and others in contact with birds to monitor for illness.

 

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; lack of coordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at: http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.

 

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.

 

Edited by Admin

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