A bird flu outbreak that led to the destruction of some 300,000 ducks and 700,000 egg-laying chickens in three counties in northeast Indiana at the end of last year may have spread to a turkey farm in southwestern Indiana.
The State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) recently quarantined 45,686 commercial turkeys in Sullivan County, located between Terre Haute and Vincennes, due to a suspected infection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Records show it's the first time bird flu has been detected in Sullivan County since the current HPAI outbreak began in 2022. The turkeys will be destroyed if testing confirms they're infected with bird flu.
Nearly all HPAI cases since October have been concentrated in LaGrange, Elkhart and Noble counties, including another 10,739 commercial meat ducks quarantined Feb. 12 in Elkhart County.
A more widespread HPAI outbreak during the first three months of 2025 required the destruction of more than 8 million Indiana chickens and caused the price of eggs to soar.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts the public health risk for HPAI is low. It's possible for humans to contract HPAI, though no cases have been confirmed in Indiana, according to the State Department of Health.
Bird flu does not present a food safety risk. BOAH says cooked poultry and eggs and pasteurized dairy products are safe to eat.
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