Over 8.5 million birds have been killed by HPAI since 2022. (Fernando Losada Rodriguez via Wikimedia Commons)
Indiana has been declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, throughout its poultry farms.
The designation comes from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), which requires confirmation that the virus has been eliminated from infected sites and that 28 days has passed without additional detections.
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“We've achieved that now, and again, that doesn't mean the virus is gone, but we've at least achieved that within the domestic poultry sector,” said Denise Derrer-Spears, Public Information Director of the State Board of Animal Health.
The new status eases export restrictions and international trade barriers for Indiana poultry products.
However, bird flu is still present in waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans and even some eagles, hawks, and falcons.
“We still know it's circulating in the United States,” Spears said. “There have been cases that have been detected in other states as late as last week. So the farmers really need to stay on their guard about the disease and protect their birds.”
Over 8.5 million birds from 34 commercial flocks have been killed by HPAI since 2022.
