An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu has hit a commercial egg‑laying complex in Crawford County, triggering an immediate quarantine and stepped-up surveillance on surrounding farms and wild birds. Investigators have tagged the affected flock as “Crawford 01” and put roughly 49,727 birds under tight control inside a 10‑kilometer control area, with a broader 20‑kilometer surveillance zone stretching into parts of Dubois and Perry counties. State and federal teams are testing nearby flocks and watching wild birds for signs of spread. Public‑health officials say there is no evidence so far of any human infections tied to this detection.
In a press release, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health identified the site, confirmed the flock size and control‑zone details, and said testing will be offered to nearby non‑commercial flock owners, according to WITZ AM/FM. The agency added that state and federal partners are coordinating expanded surveillance and testing, while public‑health partners monitor people who may have been exposed. The BOAH highly pathogenic avian influenza case list on the state website is being updated to include the new “Crawford 01” entry and its control‑area status.
State and federal response
According to the Indiana DNR, USDA Wildlife Services and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are assisting with targeted wild‑bird surveillance and carcass sampling in and around the control area. Local coverage reports that agency staff will be reaching out to flock owners inside the surveillance zone to set up testing and offer biosecurity guidance.
Dairy operations inside the control area are also part of the ramped‑up monitoring effort to document herd health while movement restrictions are in place. It is a lot of testing and paperwork for producers, but officials say it is necessary to keep a lid on the virus while they watch for any additional cases.
What bird owners should do
Backyard and hobby flock owners are being urged to keep a close eye on their birds. Warning signs include sudden deaths, a sharp drop in egg production, or swelling of the head and comb. Suspicious illness should be reported immediately by calling the USDA healthy‑bird hotline at 1‑866‑536‑7593 or by visiting the USDA Defend the Flock resource center.
The Defend the Flock portal offers biosecurity checklists, guidance and free materials designed to help keep domestic birds safe and limit cross‑contamination between backyard flocks and wild birds. Officials also advise double‑bagging any dead birds and refrigerating carcasses in case testing is needed.
Legal and agricultural impacts
The quarantine order triggers movement restrictions and testing requirements within the control area. Local reporting notes that lactating dairy cattle in the zone must test negative for avian influenza before interstate movement under a federal order, a rule that can complicate shipping schedules and logistics for nearby farms while surveillance is ongoing.
Officials emphasize that properly cooked poultry and eggs, along with pasteurized dairy products, remain safe for consumers. So while the situation is serious for producers caught inside the control zones, it does not change how people should safely prepare and eat those foods at home.
Where this fits into the outbreak
State materials describe the current H5N1 situation as the largest animal‑health emergency in U.S. history and note that highly pathogenic avian influenza has been identified on more than 2,000 premises across all 50 states since February 2022, according to the BOAH HPAI dashboard. Indiana is a leading national producer of ducks, eggs and turkeys, and the new Crawford County quarantine adds to several detections across the state this winter and early 2026. Agencies say that ongoing surveillance during migration season is a primary reason for the recent uptick in detections.
Follow updates and get help
Officials plan to post situation updates and status reports on state and federal web pages, where the latest quarantine maps and case counts will be available. The USDA Defend the Flock portal and local public‑health pages also list testing, reporting and safety resources for flock owners.
For immediate concerns about sick or dead birds, residents are urged to call the USDA hotline at 1‑866‑536‑7593 or contact their county health department about possible human exposures.
