Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (also known as HPAI H5N1) does not present a food safety risk, according to experts including the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH). Cooked poultry and eggs and pasteurized dairy products are safe to eat. 

However, the H5N1 virus is active throughout the United States and has been found on at least seven commercial poultry operations and one non-commercial operation in Indiana since the beginning of the year, BOAH said.

HPAI has been identified on more than 1,300 premises in all 50 states since February 2022, and wild birds infected with HPAI – including waterfowl, raptors and other common species – have been found from coast to coast. Many other mammalian species, including humans, dairy cattle and wildlife, have also been diagnosed with the virus. The current, ongoing HPAI event is the United States’ largest animal health emergency in history, according to BOAH. For information and guidance, visit in.gov/boah.