The USDA confirmed HPAI on seven additional farms with 337,348 turkeys, bringing the U.S. total to just under 25 million birds, mostly chickens and turkeys, since viral disease appeared among domestic herds in early February. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service listed outbreaks in 74 turkey farms, with losses of 3.6 million turkeys.

The United States produced 214 million turkeys last year. Minnesota was the leading state, raising 40.5 million of them. Turkey farms accounted for 43% of the 170 outbreaks among commercial and backyard herds. HPAI was identified in only nine egg farms, but 16.8 million laying hens died of "high-way" avian influenza.

The Indiana State Board of Animal Health said the HPAI was found On Tuesday at a second duck farm in Elkhart County, with about 6,000 ducks on the facility. An Elkhart County farm with 4,724 ducks was hit over the weekend by HPAI. More than 50 million birds died in an HPAI epidemic in 2014 and 2015, including 12% of the U.S. laying hen herd.

Meanwhile, u.S. poultry industry representatives were in Havana last week to ask the Cuban government to loosen U.S. chicken bans due to outbreaks of avian flu in major producing states. U.S. Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) President Jim Sumner and Veterinary Trade Policy Advisor John Clifford spent long hours for several days with Cuban authorities, arguing that the embargoes be applied at the county level, the avisite.com.br.