Bird flu back in US, H7N8 strain found in Indiana turkey flock

Chicago

THE US government has confirmed the presence of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana, the country's first case since the end of last year's outbreak that led to the destruction of 50 million animals.

The H7N8 strain discovered at a 60,000-bird flock in Dubois County is different from those that caused last year's outbreak, the US Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (Aphis) said on Friday in a statement on its website. Federal and state authorities are monitoring and testing the nearby area, it said, without naming the exact site.

The USDA contacted countries that buy poultry and eggs after the detection and has not received any notice of official import restrictions, TJ Myers, associate deputy administrator at Ap…