INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Avian influenza leading to the death of enough chickens and other birds for three states to declare a state of emergency has landed in Indiana, one of the nation’s leading producers of poultry.

A backyard flock of 77 birds of various species including chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys were removed from an undisclosed site in Whitley County in the northeastern part of the state, authorities with the Indiana Joint Information Center in Indianapolis reported on May 11.

The Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) is teaming up with the USDA, the Indiana State Poultry Assoc. and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory to try to prevent the type of outbreaks in hard-hit states like Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota where a state of emergency is in effect.

According to BOAH officials, poultry from the Whitley County flock tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain after the owner reported several chickens became ill and died. The birds were removed to reduce the risk of further spread of the virus, which has quickly decimated large flocks in many areas during the current outbreak.

Dave Addison of the Purdue University extension office in Whitley County said his organization is informing the various state and federal agencies of who potentially has poultry in that country so those birds can be tested for the virus, along with any other information that’s requested. He said the office is also helping educate bird owners in knowledge such as the symptoms of avian flu.

The beginning of what could become the worst outbreak of this flu in the nation’s history surfaced in Oregon when on Dec. 19 the country’s first case of the virus during the current outbreak was confirmed. However, the virus – carried by migratory birds – has also come from Mississippi and moved through the Midwest before crossing into southern Canada.

Some people might be surprised that Indiana’s first confirmed case was in the northeast and not the western part of the state because of how the virus began drifting in from the west. Addison, though, wasn’t shocked. “We know there’s always the potential for any kind of a disease to get into any county and into any species,” he noted.

The virus, if not held in check, could have a major economic impact on Indiana with the state ranking first nationwide in the production of ducks and fourth in turkeys, according to BOAH officials. Indiana is also second in the amount of egg-type hatch and third in egg layers.

Addison said Whitley County is not a major producer of poultry but has many people raising them, including hobbyists with backyard flocks.

LaPorte County in the northwestern part of the state also is not a major producer of poultry but does have a number of people who sell eggs from chickens on their small farms and backyards.

Gene Matzat, an extension educator from LaPorte, said extension is doing its part to help monitor the spread of the virus and get as much information as possible into the hands of the general public. “I think we always have to be vigilant because it can move so fast,” he said.

Poultry owners are encouraged to look for the signs of avian flu and report potential cases 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, officials said. Dead birds should be double-bagged and refrigerated for possible testing.

Symptoms of the virus include sudden death without clinic signs; lack of energy or appetite; decreased egg production; soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; swelling or purple discoloration of the head, eyelids, comb, hocks; nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing; incoordination; and diarrhea, officials said.

Fortunately, according to authorities, the bird flu does not pose a threat to the food supply. Denise Derrer, a spokesperson for BOAH, said there’s been no history whatsoever of humans contracting avian influenza, which is not found in the meat of infected poultry.

Instead, the virus is in the respiratory system of infected poultry and spread through droppings.

And if for some reason the flu strain made its way to the meat, proper cooking techniques would kill the virus, she said.

“There is no safety risk at all,” said Derrer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the threat of illness to humans by the virus to be very low. “This is a major economic impact issue on the poultry industry, and that’s what the concern is,” said Derrer. Approximately $1.2 billion in poultry products from Indiana were sold in 2013, she added.

Three strains of the avian flu have hit North American poultry flocks, including some in Canada, in the past six months and despite efforts to keep the virus in check the spread is picking up speed, officials said.

Other countries including Mexico and China, as a precaution, have banned imports of poultry from the United States, and restrictions on imports of poultry from western Canada are in place in South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.

More recently, the USDA confirmed bird flu in nine additional commercial flocks, including 5.7 million birds in a flock of laying hens in Iowa.

There have been no confirmed cases of avian flu in Ohio, but the state is bracing for it as it is a leading producer, with a poultry industry valued at $1 billion.