Hoosier Ag Today by: Gary Truitt
Governor Mike Pence spoke to the press after being briefed by officials on the avian flu situation in Dubois County at the Center for Technology, Innovation and Manufacturing at VUJC on Saturday.
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) announces nine more commercial turkey farms in Dubois County have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. This brings the total to 10 commercial turkey operations. Further testing is underway to determine the virus type. All positive flocks are located within the original control area and were identified by surveillance testing. New 10 km circles have been drawn to expand the control area slightly beyond Dubois County into Martin, Orange, Crawford and Davies counties. Depopulation activities are underway on most of the sites. Depopulation of the index site was completed this morning. All infected flocks are located in Dubois County, Indiana.
Governor Pence met with state and federal officials in Jasper on Saturday for an update on the situation. After the briefing he said, “I appreciate the vigorous actions our state agencies are taking to isolate and manage this situation and appreciate the diligence and involvement of Dubois County community leaders who joined me at today’s briefing.” BOAH stated that poultry flocks in the surrounding area are being tested daily for the presence of avian influenza. State and federal agencies are working alongside the poultry operations to minimize the impact and eliminate the disease.
The exact number of farms affected or their exact locations can’t be answered at this time, said Joseph Romero, the director of planning for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Dubois County Emergency Management Agency Director Tammy Humbert wants people to be aware that isn’t smart to go on a tour of the affected area anytime soon. “Don’t go out looking for this. Stay away,” Humbert said. “We don’t want people going into the areas. Live your lives. Everything is OK. We will handle this. We’re a strong community and we’re going to get through this just fine.”
“The state of Indiana is going to work in full partnership with all of our producers to ensure that all the resources that are available through the USDA are secured to mitigate the financial impact here,” Pence said. “This could have a major, major economic impact on so many people in Dubois County because we are so active in Dubois County in the turkey and chicken business,” added Dubois County Council President Greg Kendall.
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