INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana has been declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), but a representative of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) said that doesn’t mean poultry producers should let their guard down.

The May 29 announcement from BOAH said the change in status was made according to standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health. Those standards say HPAI-free status can be declared for a state or region after the disease has been eliminated on all affected farms and no new infections are detected in a subsequent 28-day waiting period.

The last confirmed case of HPAI in the Hoosier state was in a non-commercial flock in Porter County in early May. The last case in a commercial flock was in Kosciusko County in late March.

“HPAI-free status does not mean the virus is eliminated completely,” Denise Derrer Spears, BOAH public information director, told Farm World on May 30. “Other states have reported new HPAI cases in poultry just within the last week. We know that H5N1 is still circulating in the wild bird population.

“Free status just refers to domestic poultry. Therefore, all poultry owners – with small and large flocks – need to remain vigilant in biosecurity and preventing entry of the disease. Likewise, testing, surveillance and reporting efforts will continue.”

If a flock manager sees signs of the disease, Spears said the flock veterinarian will submit samples to the diagnostic laboratory for testing, just as they usually do.

“If another case would arise, BOAH and the poultry growers will jump back into the established response process,” she explained. “The disease can be devastating to chicken and turkey flocks, with a very high rapid death rate. So, everyone wants to continue to maintain free status.”

The main impact of the state’s HPAI-free status is on international trade, Spears said.

“Many countries will ban or limit imports of products (eggs, meat, etc.) from places where the virus has been diagnosed,” she pointed out. “The restrictions vary by country – some may ban imports from an entire state, while others just the county where the virus has been identified. HPAI-free status should reopen access to international markets, which are very important to Indiana’s top-ranked poultry sectors.”

HPAI-free status also signifies all control areas are lifted, Spears said. Commercial farms within control areas must complete frequent testing to move birds and/or products on to and off farms to ensure the virus has not spread, she said. This presents a lot of work, logistics and effort for the farm owners to accomplish in a short time window to obtain a permit from BOAH before products or birds may be moved, Spears added.

The first nationwide case of HPAI in the current outbreak was in February 2022 in a Dubois County, Ind., turkey flock. Since the outbreak began, Indiana has had 34 commercial poultry flocks (chickens, ducks and turkeys) and 11 small/hobby flocks test positive in 20 counties, according to BOAH. More than 8.5 million birds have been destroyed in the state during the current outbreak, the agency said.

Across the country, more than 1,700 premises in all 50 states and Puerto Rico have had confirmed HPAI infections in poultry, BOAH said. Wild birds infected with HPAI have been found nationwide in such species as waterfowl (ducks, geese, swans), raptors (eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures), shorebirds and seabirds, the agency said.

Nationwide, Indiana ranks first in the production of ducks, third in turkey and eggs production, and is a significant producer of broilers, BOAH said.