Avian flu has been detected in multiple states, starting with a Feb. 9 announcement by the United States Department of Agriculture of confirmed cases in Dubois County, Indiana, then spreading to various states over the following weeks.
This strain marks the first time avian flu has been detected in the United States since 2020.
The initial Indiana cases were detected among 30,000 turkeys, all of which were euthanized following the discovery of the virus. The latest confirmed case in Green County, led to the euthanization of 15,200 turkeys as of Feb. 19, with turkeys at other farms suspected of carrying avian flu.
The inciting Indiana case is the virus’s first appearance within the state since 2016.
The first Kentucky case was detected in a flock of commercially bred broiler chickens in Fulton County, with confirmation by the state Department of Agriculture on Feb. 14. The Department of Agriculture was contacted on Feb. 11 regarding increasing poultry death frequency. The Breathitt Veterinary Center and the United States National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the presence of the virus. It was the first confirmed case of avian flu in the state since 2017.
“The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is working closely with animal health officials at both the federal and state government to contain these incidents of avian influenza,” Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles said in the Department of Agriculture’s announcement.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also confirmed cases in wild birds in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Despite the fatalities and euthanizations experienced by the afflicted birds, the CDC also stated that there is no immediate public health crisis, and no human cases have been confirmed as of Feb. 21.
