The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has confirmed bird flu has made its way into Bartholomew County with the discovery of dead geese near Lutheran Lake.

Seven dead Canadian geese were found near the lake in the southwest corner of the county, according to DNR avian health specialist Eli Fleace. An examination of one of the dead birds confirmed the presence of avian influenza, he said.

“What we understand is this is very widespread across the state, said Indiana State Board of Animal Health spokeswoman Denise Derrer Spears. “We are concerned about making sure the poultry populations across Indiana are protected as much as possible.”

The rapid spreading of the disease is caused by droppings from birds such as geese and wild ducks who are in migration right now, Spears said. There was a outbreak of bird flu in Tennessee before hundreds of sandhill cranes were found dead this week in Jackson County, according to Fleece.

Avian flu can spread rapidly among domestic poultry, Spears said. Animal health specialists describe the disease as highly pathogenic means there is a high death rate among the birds, she said.

During the last week of January, a major outbreak of bird flu was discovered at Rose Acre Farms’ Cort Acres facility. There have now been at least 20 commercial poultry facilities in Indiana where avian influenza has been confirmed in locations including Union, Greene, Jasper, Newton, LaPorte and Stark counties.

It’s estmated that nearly 7 million chickens, turkeys and ducks in these facilities have contracted the highly contagious bird flu since the first of the year.

This week, hundreds of sandhill cranes were found dead in Jackson County, according to DNR. Fleace said many were discovered in the vicinity of the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge, near the Jackson/Jennings county line. Other locations identified include rural areas between Brownstown and Seymour, as well as along the East Fork White River near Brownstown.

“I would not be surprised if there were birds found dead in other parts of the county as well,” Fleace said.

More research is needed on the current strain of the bird flu to understand why it has spread so rapidly in just the past few weeks, according to Fleace. The U.S.G.S. National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, is trying to get a better idea of what has happened, he said.

Spears emphasized that eggs available in supermarkets are completely safe. She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still classifies the bird flu as a low risk to humans.

While avian influenza is generally considered a cold weather virus, Spears said upper Midwestern states including Iowa and Minnesota kept discovering cases in 2015 well into the middle of summer.

The CDC will often announce what is in the latest strain of avian flu in the fall, Spears said.

“It will be different because there are different strains that may have mutated a little from last year,” she explained. “These viruses are constantly changing and trying to adapt to the environment where they are located.

State health officials are asking Hoosiers to avoid contact with living or dead water fowl. But if someone feels they have no choice but to remove a carcass, Fleace strongly advises wearing both gloves and a mask. After the bird is double-bagged and placed in the trash, the person should wash their hands thoroughly, he said.

Those with domestic poultry are urged to disinfect their clothes, boots and gloves after tending to their birds. Fleace said alcohol works well as a disinfectant on items that cannot be laundered, he said.
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