The avian flu outbreak in southern Indiana has made it’s way to northern Indiana.

On April 7th, a commercial duck farm in Elkhart County tested positive for the H5 avian flu. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health set-up a 10 kilometer zone around the farm, and began it’s quarantining process. That includes cleaning and testing each facility.

It was during that testing process that a second duck farm in Elkhart, about a mile and a half away from the first farm, tested positive for the avian flu.

The original flu outbreak in February began in Dubois county.

“When we work with the farms, we’re not seeing any links between those two counties,” says Denise Spears, public information director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.

Spears says food and eggs are not affected, so you don’t need to worry about what may be in your kitchen. She says the real threat is flu spread. The ducks, and turkeys before them, have to be killed to prevent any further spread. Spears believes the flu comes from wild birds that are not native to the United States. The wild birds are migrating this time of year, potentially infecting farms along their path.

“We are seeing a big impact nationally,” Spears explains, “as of last [Tuesday] night, we have found avian influenza in 26 states. There’s 180 farms that have been affected so far.”

Spears says it’s important for bird owners, whether it be for a hobby or their own commercial farms, to get in contact with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health if they noticed anything strange with their birds.

The number to call is 317-544-2387. You can schedule a test at no charge.