The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed last week that a strain of the Avian Influenza Virus has struck a commercial turkey farm in Indiana - the first U.S. bird-flu outbreak in six months.
According to the Fall 2015 HPAI Preparedness and Response Plan released in September, 2015 by the USDA,, the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza has been detected in commercial and backyard poultry flocks, wild birds or captive wild birds in 21 states. With the last spring outbreak identified in June, 2015, a total of 211 commercial and 21 backyard poultry premises had been affected, according to the report. The report further states that the outbreak resulted in the depopulation of 7.5 million turkeys and 42.1 million egg-layer and pullet chickens, with devastating effects on these businesses, and a cost to Federal taxpayers of over $950 million.