Avian flu has been detected among a flock of turkeys in Dubois County.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in a news release that it’s confirmed the presence of the virus at a commercial facility, following what it calls “increased mortality” among the turkeys.
The agency didn’t identify the business, but says birds from the affected flock will not enter the food system.
The Dubois County site was quarantined and the agency says "depopulation of birds on the premises has already begun."
Gov. Mike Pence says he’s "directed all relevant agencies to bring the full resources of the state of Indiana to bear” on containing and resolving the situation.
The strain has been identified as H7N8 – different than the one that caused an outbreak last year.
The USDA says there are no known cases of H7N8 infections in humans, but poultry populations can be devastated.
Backyard poultry owners are encouraged to be aware of the signs of avian influenza and report illness and/or death to the USDA Healthy Birds Hotline at 866-536-7593. Dead birds should be double-bagged and refrigerated for possible testing.