Bird Flu Strikes Adams County Duck Farm

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INDIANAPOLIS—Avian influenza has struck another Indiana farm, a commercial duck breeder in Adams County. The outbreak has quarantined 3,215 ducks, and control areas have been established at nearby farms in Adams and Jay counties.

“The hard part for farmers is that when we get a detection, the site automatically goes under quarantine,” said Denise Derrer Spears, Public Information Director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. “Once it’s confirmed, we have a whole process.”

She explained that officials restrict bird movement, test flocks, and set up control zones to stop the virus’s spread.

“The poultry farmers are really struggling right now,” she said. “They’re working day and night to keep the virus out of the barns, doing everything they can to protect the birds.”

Indiana, one of the top duck-producing states, faces its second outbreak in Adams County this year. A commercial turkey farm was the first to be hit back in January.

“This is really hard to predict,” she added. “The strain changes year-to-year. We used to think it would end by spring after the wild bird migration, but back in 2015, a heavy strain ran through the summer, and we didn’t see it stop.”

This marks at least the 22nd affected farm, with nearly 7 million birds lost or culled to prevent further spread.

Wildlife has also been impacted, with over 1,500 sandhill cranes and a bald eagle dying from suspected bird flu.

Health officials reassure the public that the risk to humans remains low.