INDIANAPOLIS – Hoosier commercial poultry producers have lost hundreds of thousands of egg layers, turkeys and ducks since the latest outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) began in the state in 2022. Those numbers rose into the millions in late January when the disease was confirmed at a Jackson County operation.

In posts on its social media accounts Jan. 28, Rose Acre Farms said its Cort Acre Egg Farm in Seymour, Ind., had tested positive for HPAI. The farm had 2.8 million egg layers, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH). The farm has been quarantined, and under BOAH protocols, the birds will be destroyed.

Rose Acre Farms said the company first noticed mortality on Jan. 25.

“We sent off samples to be tested as quickly as possible,” the social media posts said. “As soon as we noticed the mortality, we immediately implemented further biosecurity steps to our already established, stringent biosecurity protocol. Unfortunately, we have been previously affected by bird flu, and we know the necessary steps to mitigate further spread.”

Rose Acre said it was continuing to monitor its other facilities. The company, which began in the 1930s, has facilities in multiple states. Rose Acre said it would continue to work with BOAH and the state veterinarian on best practices to combat the risk of spreading HPAI to other birds.

Denise Derrer Spears, BOAH’s public information director, said it’s not wholly unusual to see positive tests for HPAI this time of year.

“Migratory activity by wild waterfowl presents increased risk,” she told Farm World. “Commercial producers are on high alert – they are very aware of the potential impact of this virus. They do not call us as much, as this is a fact of life for them and maintaining high biosecurity. We are getting calls from individuals with small/hobby flocks who are concerned about what they are seeing in their flocks, especially if they are in detection areas. They are calling – which we encourage them to do – to talk to a veterinarian to see if testing is warranted.”

Poultry producers should continue their biosecurity measures and if they see signs of illness – lethargy, reduced water intake, higher mortality – they should take precautions and reach out to get their flock tested, Spears said.

As of Jan. 30, BOAH said 680,790 birds in the state had been affected by HPAI – 380,066 commercial egg layers; 282,541 commercial turkeys; 17,603 commercial ducks; and 580 non-commercial birds. The numbers don’t include the recent BOAH advisory for Rose Acre’s 2.8 million egg layers in Jackson County.

“We need to receive laboratory confirmation from USDA before we add to the dashboard because international trading partners monitor that space,” Spears said. “That usually takes three-five days, depending on how busy the federal lab is.”

Nationally, as of Jan. 30, more than 148 million birds have been affected, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Indiana’s dairy herds remained free of HPAI, Spears said Jan. 27.

Once HPAI is confirmed by testing at a farm in Indiana, the farm is quarantined and a 10-kilometer control area is established. A 20-kilometer surveillance area is also set up. Birds at the affected farm are destroyed.

“The method of depopulation varies, based on many factors such as type of birds (floor birds like ducks or turkeys vs. hens in cages),” Spears explained. “Also, the size of the operation and what resources are available. Once the birds are dead, again, the disposal method varies depending on the size of the operation, type of carcasses, facilities available, etc. Our preference is to do indoor composting, then outdoor composting as second. However, composting indoors is not an option for laying hens, while it’s very effective for a duck site.

“The compost piles need to be built under supervision of a certified expert – we have sent several staff to school so we do not have to request someone from USDA in another state to come here, which speeds response time.”

The piles have to be built to achieve a high enough temperature for an extended amount of time to kill the virus, she noted. The piles must be turned and managed and temperatures taken regularly. Once that process is finished, Spears said, the composted material can be spread as any other organic material on fields.

“Once that is finished, the facilities need to be cleaned and disinfected. We come in to take environmental samples that go to the laboratory to ensure no virus is present before the barns can be restocked. This whole process takes several weeks, but will be extended if any part of the process does not go exactly as planned.”

USDA offers some financial assistance with depopulation, disposal and virus elimination (cleaning and disinfecting), she said. “That does not make the producer whole and does not cover lost production time. This is a major financial hit to any farm family that experiences this.”