Avian influenza confirmed in Indiana

Jan 18, 2016

Other states taking precautions as a result

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed that nine flocks in Indiana have a strain of avian influenza.

All nine flocks were confirmed to have H7N8 avian flu. Since the initial confirmation of the disease in Dubois County, Indiana on Jan. 15, eight flocks have been deemed as low pathogenic while another flock is undergoing additional testing.

APHIS said the strain is different from the one that caused the outbreak in 2015.

USDA Chief Veterinarian John Clifford said swift action helped control the highly pathogenic flock.

“Through cooperative industry, state and federal efforts, we were able to quickly identify and isolate the highly pathogenic case, and depopulate that flock,” he said.

“Together, we are also working to stop further spread of the LPAI (low pathogenic) virus, and will continue aggressive testing on additional premises within the expanded control area to ensure any additional cases of either HPAI (high pathogenic) or LPAI are identified and controlled quickly.”

Despite quick action and control measures, at least one state isn’t taking any chances.

Kentucky State Veterinarian Robert Stout re-enacted restrictions on bird sales and movement within the state, noting the reasoning is fairly simple.

“Poultry is Kentucky’s leading agricultural commodity, and we will do everything we can to keep our commercial and backyard poultry industries secure,” he said.

Mike Strain, Louisiana Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner, is telling residents to use the Indiana discovery of avian flu as a reason to revisit biosecurity practices.

“This new case of HPAI in Indiana should serve as reminder to all Louisiana poultry producers that while we haven’t had any cases of the disease in our state the threat remains.

“I’m urging all poultry owners to be vigilant with biosecurity protocols in order to protect our valuable poultry industry,” Strain said.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.