An outbreak of avian flu in southwest Indiana has led to the deaths of 400,000 turkeys and chickens across 10 farms. According to The Daily Record, this avian influenza virus is the H7N8 strain. The first of the 10 farms saw a highly pathogenic form, which means infected birds were dying, while most of the other farms saw a low-pathogenic form that only made the birds sick. Officials said low-pathogenic viruses can quickly mutate into the viral form that’s deadly to birds.
Federal officials are hoping that the virus has been contained to the 10 farms by using quarantines, euthanizing whole flocks on those farms and aggressively testing nearby poultry farms and backyard flocks. Last year’s outbreak of the H5N2 avian flu virus strain claimed more than 48 million birds nationwide.
