INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) was notified Monday by the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory that poultry from a backyard, or hobby, flock in Whitley County tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza.

BOAH added avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.

BOAH veterinarians collected samples from the flock, after the owner reported several chickens became ill and died. The hobby flock contained 77 birds of various species, including ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys.

Other 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 at 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.

Symptoms 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 and/or hocks; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea. A great resource for backyard bird health information is online at www.healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov

In a rapid response effort, all of the birds were removed from the Whitley County site, to ensure no ongoing risk of disease spread. BOAH is reaching out to poultry owners in that area to raise awareness and determine if the disease has spread. (Public information director Denise Derrer stated BOAH’s policy is to not release specific identification of a flock’s owner or address during an investigation.)

Initial response to this finding has been swift and focused, according to BOAH, with coordination among the agency, USDA, the Indiana State Poultry Assoc. and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.

Gov. Mike Pence has directed all relevant agencies to provide a robust response in support of BOAH’s efforts. Indiana is a leading poultry-producing state, nationally ranked first in the production of ducks, second in egg-type hatch, third in egg layers and fourth in turkeys.

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.