Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Livestock

California Dairy Study Raises New Questions About How H5N1 Spreads

Fri, 08 May 2026 15:46:20 GMT

For months, discussions around H5N1 in dairy cattle have focused largely on infected milk and contaminated milking equipment. New research from California suggests the transmission picture may be far more complex.

In a study published this week in PLOS Biology , researchers investigating 14 H5N1-positive California dairies found evidence supporting several possible transmission pathways, including aerosols generated during milking and contamination within dairy wastewater systems. The study also identified signs of subclinical infection in some cows, raising new questions about how easily infected animals may be missed during outbreaks.

The findings add to growing evidence that the dairy environment itself may play a larger role in H5N1 transmission than previously recognized.

Infectious H5N1 Virus Detected in Dairy Parlor Air

One of the study’s most significant findings came from air sampling inside milking parlors.

Researchers collected aerosol samples during milking and detected not only viral RNA, but infectious H5N1 virus in some air samples. Viral material was also identified in exhaled breath collected from infected cattle.

Environmental sampling findings included:

Infectious virus recovered from parlor air samples and wastewater systems
Viral RNA identified in cow breath samples
Evidence of infection in some cows without obvious clinical signs

The distinction between viral RNA and infectious virus is important. Detecting RNA alone does not confirm viable virus is present, while recovery of infectious virus suggests aerosolized particles could potentially contribute to transmission.

The authors stopped short of concluding that airborne spread is a primary transmission route on dairies. However, the findings raise new questions about respiratory exposure risks in enclosed milking environments.

Milking parlors routinely generate aerosols through animal movement, splashing fluids, equipment use and high-pressure cleaning systems. The study suggests those environments may warrant closer attention during outbreak investigations and biosecurity planning.

The findings also have implications for worker safety. Since the U.S. dairy outbreak began, human infections linked to dairy cattle exposure have generally been mild, with conjunctivitis among the most commonly reported symptoms. Aerosol exposure during milking has remained a persistent concern for occupational health experts.

Wastewater Systems are a Possible H5N1 Exposure Route

Researchers also detected widespread contamination throughout dairy wastewater systems.

H5N1 viral RNA was identified in parlor drains, wastewater sumps, lagoons and reclaimed water systems. Infectious virus was recovered from some wastewater-associated samples as well. This finding may be particularly relevant for modern dairy operations, where reclaimed water is frequently reused for flushing and other management purposes.

The authors noted wastewater systems could create additional opportunities for virus movement within the farm environment through splashing, aerosol generation, contaminated surfaces and possible wildlife exposure. Wild birds have already played a major role in the global spread of H5N1. Contaminated wastewater or standing water could represent another point of interaction between dairies and wildlife populations.

The study does not establish wastewater systems as a major driver of transmission. However, it does suggest environmental contamination pathways may deserve more attention as researchers continue investigating how the virus behaves in dairy systems.

Some Infected Cows Showed Few Clinical Signs

The study also identified evidence of subclinical infection.

Some cows tested positive for H5N1 despite showing limited or no obvious clinical illness. In several cases, cows produced H5N1-positive milk without severe visible mastitis signs. Researchers also detected antibodies in animals without previously recognized disease.

Infection patterns within udders added another layer of complexity. Researchers noted some patterns did not fully align with expectations if transmission were occurring solely through contaminated milking equipment.

If milking equipment was the only major transmission route, infections between udder quarters would likely appear more predictable. Instead, the findings suggested additional exposure pathways may be involved.

These subclinical infections could complicate surveillance and outbreak detection efforts. Farms relying primarily on visibly sick cows may miss infected animals, particularly during the early stages of transmission. That has implications for testing strategies, animal movement decisions and outbreak response planning.

The findings also highlight how differently H5N1 behaves in cattle compared to poultry, where highly pathogenic avian influenza often causes rapid and severe disease.

Biosecurity Implications Continue to Evolve

The authors emphasized more research is needed to determine which transmission pathways are most influential on commercial dairies. Still, the study broadens the conversation around H5N1 biosecurity.

Early outbreak discussions focused heavily on milk contamination and fomite transmission through milking equipment. This study suggests aerosols, wastewater systems, environmental contamination and subclinical infections may also play a role.

That could influence future discussions around:

Parlor ventilation
PPE use during milking
Wastewater handling
Environmental sanitation
Surveillance strategies
Monitoring apparently healthy cows

The paper also underscores how much remains unknown about H5N1 adaptation in dairy cattle. Researchers identified mutations in some environmental samples that have previously been associated with mammalian adaptation, though the significance of those findings remains unclear.

This study offers an updated look at a disease situation that continues to evolve rapidly — and suggests transmission on dairies may involve a broader network of environmental exposures than initially believed.

APHIS Lifts Testing Requirements for H5N1 in Unaffected States

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 19:33:01 GMT

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued updated guidance related to the April 2024 Federal Order that required testing of lactating dairy cattle before they move across State lines.

Effective immediately, lactating dairy cattle moving interstate from States with Unaffected State Status under the National Milk Testing Strategy are no longer required to be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 prior to movement.

View the updated guidance document .

Key Points

No testing required for lactating dairy cattle originating from States with Unaffected State Status under the National Milk Testing Strategy .
Unaffected State Status requires ongoing testing and surveillance activities to confirm the absence of HPAI in the State’s dairy herds.
This update follows a United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) resolution received in October 2025 and is expected to be widely supported by dairy and State animal health regulatory officials.
APHIS does not anticipate any impact on trade of cattle or beef/dairy products.

Public Health and Food Safety

The detection of HPAI H5N1 in lactating dairy cattle does not pose a risk to consumer health or compromise the safety of the commercial milk supply. Pasteurization effectively inactivates HPAI virus. Milk from affected animals is diverted or destroyed to prevent entry into the food supply. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to consider the public health risk low.

The Importance of Biosecurity

USDA remains committed to working with State partners to monitor, investigate, and mitigate the spread of HPAI in livestock. This update does not change  USDA’s HPAI eradication strategy . Biosecurity is still key to mitigating the risk of disease introduction or spread between premises.

APHIS recommends  enhanced biosecurity measures  for all dairy farms. Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs, or any unusual sick or dead wildlife, to their State veterinarian.

From the Parlor to the Perimeter: Protecting the Heart of American Dairy in 2026

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:28:22 GMT

2026 marks a defining moment for U.S. dairy producers. As biological threats evolve and new risks loom on the horizon, the industry’s focus has moved from the parlor to the perimeter. During a high-level panel at the High Plains Dairy Conference, leaders including Jason Lombard, Samantha Holeck and Dee Ellis addressed the biosecurity gap and the urgent need for a line of separation to safeguard the milk supply. This isn’t just a discussion about animal health; it’s a strategic deep dive into the risk management and business continuity required to keep the American dairy industry moving forward in a volatile world.

The Ghost in the Mammary Gland: The H5N1 Legacy

Lombard opened the discussion with a sobering retrospective on H5N1. What began as a bird flu headline in December 2021 has evolved into a complex, multi-species challenge that has fundamentally altered the dairy landscape.

Lombard’s timeline showed the relentless march of the virus. From the first detections in wild birds in the Carolinas to the jump into commercial turkeys in 2022, the industry watched with wary eyes. But 2024 was the year the ground shifted. The B3.13 genotype emerged in dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas, eventually spreading to multiple states and even jumping to alpacas and swine. By late 2025, new genotypes like D1.1 were being detected in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin.

The most jarring revelation, however, was the visual evidence of where the virus hides. Lombard shared microscopic images of the mammary gland, where sialic acid receptors — the locks the virus keys into — glowed red, and the virus itself (AIV) glowed yellow.

“It’s in the milk,” Lombard stated flatly.

The spread isn’t just about a bird dropping a feather in a feed bunk. The data now shows a web of transmission: the movement of cattle, the movement of people and even the breathing of the herd. Most concerning for the 2026 outlook is the role of aerosols and peridomestic birds like swallows, pigeons and starlings. We are fighting a ghost that can be carried on a breeze or the back of a common filth fly.

The Emerging Nightmare: New World Screwworm

While the industry is still reeling from H5N1, Holeck introduced a threat that sounds like the plot of a horror movie but carries devastating economic reality: New World screwworm (NWS).

For decades, the U.S. has been protected by the “Darien Gap” and a massive eradication effort that pushed the screwworm south into Central America. But in 2026, the map is changing. Holeck shared a situational update showing thousands of active cases in Mexico, with some pushing dangerously close to the U.S. border.

“This will change the way we do business,” Holeck warned.

If NWS crosses the border, the implications are immediate and severe. We are talking about total movement restrictions, intensive live-animal inspections and the potential for lost trade. Unlike a virus, NWS is a parasite — a fly that lays eggs in open wounds, where larvae then consume living tissue. Holeck’s toolbox for 2026 isn’t just about vaccinations; it’s about management. It’s about preventing injuries, adjusting management practices to keep wounds clean, and a hyper-vigilant remove and dispose protocol for larvae.

The Reality of the Gap: Data from the Barn Floor

Farm Journal conducted its own research on research launched at the 2025 Milk Business Conference. The research illustrates a significant biosecurity gap between large and small operations.

The data showed that while 71% of producers have cameras in their milking parlors, only 38% have defined entrances with clear signage for designated vehicles like milk and feed trucks. The discrepancy becomes even sharper when looking at herd size. Larger dairies are significantly more likely to have designated employee parking (+23%) and cameras at facility entrances (+32%) compared to dairies with fewer than 1,000 cows.

The producer’s dilemma is real: ROI versus risk. On a smaller operation, a $20,000 security and sanitation upgrade can feel like a mountain, especially when the threat hasn’t hit your zip code yet. But as the panel emphasized, biosecurity is like insurance — you only realize its value when it’s too late.

One of the most telling statistics from the survey was that 25% of producers admitted they “don’t control and limit access” to feed storage areas. In an era where H5N1 and other diseases can be carried by wildlife and birds into the very food the cows eat, this is a glaring vulnerability.

The Blueprint: Drawing the Line of Separation

Ellis provided the how-to for the future: The Secure Milk Supply (SMS) Plan. This isn’t just a binder that sits on a shelf; it is a voluntary, science-based framework designed to ensure business continuity during a disease outbreak.

The core of the SMS plan is the line of separation (LOS). Ellis shared sample dairy maps that looked more like tactical military charts than farm layouts. The LOS creates a clear clean/dirty boundary.

The Dirty Side: Where public roads, non-essential deliveries and rendering trucks reside.
The Clean Side: The protected area where cows live, eat and are milked.

Implementing an SMS plan means identifying specific LOS access points, creating vehicle cleaning and disinfecting stations and establishing strict logs for every person and animal that crosses that line.

“Don’t sacrifice good for perfect,” Ellis advised. “Every SMS plan is unique. The key is to start. Post your map where every employee can see it every day. Make the clean/dirty concept part of your farm’s culture.”

The Biosecurity Umbrella

Biosecurity can feel like a cloud of acronyms and diseases: BVD, TB, Johne’s, Mycoplasma and now H5N1 and NWS.

Biosecurity isn’t easy. It’s tedious. It’s expensive. And it’s often invisible.

As an industry, we must move away from a reactive posture and toward a proactive, fortified model of production. Whether it’s a million-dollar operation in the Texas Panhandle or a 100-cow family farm in Wisconsin, the line of separation is the same.

The call to action for the industry is the same for every operation across the U.S.:

Assemble your team and review protocols now — before the challenge hits.
Look at your perimeter and sanitation, especially in feed and transport areas.
Support each other. If you serve producers, help them find the resources to make these investments.

While we may be facing genotypes and parasites that generations before us never dreamed of, we now have the science, the data and the collective will to protect the milk supply.

The 2026 revolution isn’t just about how much milk we can produce; it’s about how well we can protect it. And in that mission, we are all behind the wheel together.

The Invisible Perimeter: High-Tech Biosecurity in the Age of Bird Flu

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:47:21 GMT

In the heart of Tulare, Calif., Tyler Ribeiro is conducting an experiment in “mediocrity-free” farming. As a fourth-generation dairyman at Rib-Arrow Dairy, he has seen the industry evolve through a century of challenges. But today, the stakes have shifted. While the Central Valley sun and volatile markets remain constant pressures, an invisible threat moved to the forefront of the dairy conversation last year: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu.

For a dairy milking 1,500 cows, the emergence of H5N1 in dairy herds represents a fundamental shift in how animal well-being is defined. It is no longer just about comfort and production; it is about the rigorous defense of the milk supply itself. At Rib-Arrow, the philosophy of being tech-forward has become the farm’s strongest shield against this mounting biosecurity threat.

Early Detection: The Digital First Line of Defense

The battle against a viral threat like bird flu begins with early detection. Ribeiro’s implementation of Nedap SmartSight vision technology and activity monitoring collars provides a level of granular oversight that was impossible for previous generations. While these systems were primarily installed to monitor locomotion — reducing the lameness incident rate in first lactation cows from 6% to 2% — their value in a biosecurity crisis is immense.

“A cow starts hurting long before we can see it with our eyes,” Ribeiro notes.

Tyler Ribeiro

(Rib-Arrow Dairy)

This same principle applies to viral illness. Before a cow shows clinical signs of HPAI, such as a drop in milk production or lethargy, her data — captured 24/7 in the NedapNow cloud platform — begins to tell a story. By catching subtle changes in activity or movement early, high-tech dairies can isolate animals and implement quarantine protocols before a virus has the chance to move through the entire herd. In the era of bird flu, data is the difference between a minor incident and a total operation shutdown.

Automated Perimeter

Biosecurity is often compromised by the movement of people and equipment. Rib-Arrow’s lean toward automation directly mitigates this risk. The HoofStrong automated foot baths, which have been in place since 2015, are a prime example. Because the system is fully self-contained and self-cleaning, it reduces the need for constant employee intervention and chemical handling.

(Rib-Arrow Dairy )

Similarly, Ribeiro’s three-pronged approach to fly control — using automated flash-sprays, baits and parasitic wasps — limits the presence of pests that can carry pathogens across the dairy. By automating these dirty work tasks, the dairy ensures protocols are executed with 100% consistency, creating a closed-loop environment where the risk of cross-contamination is significantly lowered.

Protect the Pipeline: A Strategic View

The challenges faced by dairies like Rib-Arrow are the focal point of the upcoming 2026 High Plains Dairy Conference in Amarillo. A critical addition to the lineup is the panel “Protecting the Milk Supply,” featuring experts like Dee Ellis from Texas A&M and New Mexico state veterinarian Samantha Holeck. Their work bridges the gap between the regulatory requirements of state-level safety and the daily reality of the parlor.

As Ribeiro notes: “I hate it when people show up and say, ‘You’re doing a great job.’ Show me where I’m missing.”

This mindset is essential for modern biosecurity. Protecting the pipeline requires producers to work alongside data scientists like Jason Lombard of Colorado State University’s AgNext to understand the science of staying open, which involves analyzing every touch point on the farm — from how calves are transported to how manure is managed — to ensure business continuity in the face of a biosecurity event.

(Rib-Arrow Dairy)

Reputation and Resilience

The final layer of defense against bird flu is communication. For a dairy like Rib-Arrow, transparency and clear communication are vital.

Ribeiro’s “data nerd” approach allows him to provide a real-time truth about his herd’s health. Whether it is downloading thousands of cells of data to analyze with AI or checking his phone app for a cow’s locomotion score, he is equipped to prove the resilience of his operation.

As the road through 2026 and beyond is paved, the goal remains the same as it was 100 years ago: healthy cows and a sustainable business. The difference now is the eye in the sky and the mountain of data are the tools ensuring the next generation of the Ribeiro family is still standing — and profitable — no matter what biological threats the world throws at them.

Does Bird Flu Have an Effect on Cow Fertility?

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 20:52:18 GMT

When highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) first hit U.S. dairies, it threw the industry into unfamiliar territory. With so many unknowns, the immediate focus was on slowing the spread and caring for the cows that were affected.

Now, with more of the puzzle pieces coming together, researchers are beginning to step back and look at the bigger picture, examining how the virus affects cows not only in the days and weeks after infection, but what it may mean for their health and performance long after.

On a recent episode of “The Dairy Podcast Show”, Jennifer Spencer and Juan Pinedo, Extension dairy specialists with Texas A&M, came together to better understand what this virus is doing to reproduction — and if infected cows will be paying the price for years.

What Does HPAI Mean for Cow Fertility?

Spencer and Pinedo are just starting to study HPAI’s long-term effects, and their work is one of the first to measure how it may impact reproduction in U.S. dairy herds. Early signs point to a real effect on reproductive performance, particularly in younger animals, though the science is still evolving.

“We really want to know if it does impact reproduction,” Spencer says. “We want to let the producers know so they can understand if they might have to cull heavier to make sure that they’re managing this and replacing the cows in a timely manner — for sustainability of the herd and also to help maintain or improve their profitability.”

Like all major health events, HPAI is predicted to have an impact on cow fertility or pregnancy loss. But for Spencer and Pinedo, they are trying to figure out to what degree.

“We know that when cows get sick, they shift their energy toward fighting an infection rather than reproducing,” Spencer explains. “If these cattle that are infected with HPAI are having reduced milk production, feed intake and rumination, then there’s a high probability it’s impacting reproductive efficiency and their performance.”

Pinedo adds this pattern isn’t unique to HPAI, but still worth studying.

“Just like with any other systemic disease, having a detrimental effect in repro performance is something that we will expect,” Pinedo explains.

Dig Into Herd Data

In March 2025, Spencer’s team received rapid-response funding from USDA APHIS to study how HPAI affects reproduction in dairy herds. They designed a retrospective observational study, analyzing on-farm records from January 2021 through each herd’s HPAI outbreak and beyond.

“We’re looking at data from January 2021 until they had an HPAI outbreak,” Spencer says. “How we’re determining that is based not just on what the producer says, but by also analyzing the records and looking for that drastic drop in milk production, because that’s kind of the overall sign when they had an HPAI outbreak.”

To give the team a wide view of how HPAI is affecting herds in different settings, the project spans across three dairy regions with five to 10 dairies per region. These areas include the:

South Central
Western U.S.
Pacific Northwest

“We want to get information from different environments to have a better idea of the geographical differences, and what they deal with heat-stress-wise, or the feed availability,” Spencer says. “This will give us a 30,000' view of what is happening.”

A Hit on Heifers

While the full analysis is still in progress, the team has already taken a close look at one South Central dairy, and the early patterns are raising important questions in heifers. The study found conception rates dropped during the outbreak year but appeared to rebound the following year.

“For heifers, they actually had about a 5% decrease in their conception rates during 2024 from March until December, but that appears to go back up in 2025,” Spencer reports.

Pinedo added specific figures to put the changes into perspective.

“There was a 52% conception rate, and they dropped during the outbreak to 45%. The year after, they came back to 50%,” he notes.

These numbers show that while conception rates began to recover after the outbreak, they didn’t fully return to pre-HPAI levels. Spencer notes heifers needed more services per conception, suggesting the virus may have lingering effects on reproductive efficiency.

“For heifers, we saw an increase in services per conception, but they’ve remained higher. They went from about a 1.5 up to like 2, 2.2 number of times bred for their heifers, and it’s continuing into 2025,” she adds.

Spencer admits that wasn’t what they expected.

“We didn’t think that heifers would be impacted,” she says.

Complicating things further, some of the heifers in question were born to cows infected late in gestation.

“Some of those heifers were actually from cows that were in their third trimester of their pregnancy, so that may be a contributing factor,” Spencer adds. “There’s so many moving parts in it.”

How Are Cows Being Impacted?

For cows, the pattern is more complex. Unlike heifers, which showed a relatively clear dip and rebound in conception rates, mature cows showed more varied responses to HPAI. Some herds experienced noticeable declines during the outbreak, while others were less affected.

“We did see conception rates appeared to decrease in all of the lactations,” Spencer notes. “But for the first and third and greater lactations, they seem to be going back up, whereas the second lactation seems to be kind of having a harder time rebounding.”

Those second-lactation cows are noteworthy because many were first-lactation animals during the outbreak itself.

“It seems as if perhaps a first-lactation animal, which you might think would be more resilient to recover, maybe, is having more longer-term effects on at least reproduction, as opposed to older cattle,” Pinedo adds.

These unexpected patterns have the researchers taking a closer look at the number to try and determine why younger animals are taking a bigger reproductive hit.

How Much Should We Read Into Early HPAI Data?

While the data is eye-opening, both researchers are quick to point out that the findings are still early, and there’s a lot they don’t yet know.

“This is research that is at the very early stages, and it’s a retrospective observational study,” Pinedo emphasizes. “You really want to control confounders; it’s nothing that we could jump into conclusions [about] right now.”

He lists the kinds of changes every producer lives with year to year:

“You have bull genetics that will have changed, repro program that will have changed, feed that will have changed, heat abatement technologies, so many confounders that affect repro that have to be controlled,” he says.

Spencer sees the same complexity in the field of research.

“What if they changed a breeder? Or what if they started using precision technologies on their heifers, so their heat detection rate went up? These are things we have to take into consideration,” she says.

For now, the research is still in its early stages, but the data suggest HPAI does have reproductive effects worth paying attention to, especially in younger animals. As the team continues to analyze records and track herd performance, these early insights can help producers keep a closer eye on animals who were impacted by the virus and make more informed decisions for the long-term health and fertility of their herds.

California Reopens Dairy Cattle Shows Following HPAI Ban

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:01:47 GMT

After more than a year on the sidelines, dairy cattle and poultry shows are returning to California fairgrounds. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has lifted its statewide ban on exhibitions, clearing the way for shows to resume.

The restriction was put in place at the beginning of 2025 as the state tracked the spread of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). After months of surveillance and review, state officials now say conditions have improved enough to allow a cautious restart.

According to the department, the decision was based on ongoing monitoring of H5N1 activity across the state, analysis of viral trend data and consultation with state and federal epidemiologists. After a detailed review, the CDFA has determined the risk associated with poultry and dairy cattle exhibitions has declined enough to allow shows to resume, provided enhanced safeguards remain in place.

State officials pointed to stronger biosecurity awareness across the industry as a factor in the decision. Over the past year, producers and exhibitors have become more familiar with transmission risks and prevention strategies, helping reduce overall exposure concerns.

As fair season draws closer, CDFA says the move gives clearer direction to youth livestock programs, breeders and exhibitors who have spent months unsure whether animals would make it back to the show ring.

While the ban has been lifted, fairgrounds and exhibitors are being urged to stay cautious. Enhanced biosecurity measures, routine health checks and careful animal handling are still recommended, especially in high-traffic areas. State monitoring of H5N1 will continue throughout the exhibition season, with officials working alongside fair organizers and animal owners as events resume.

How to Keep Birds Out of Barns

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 22:52:35 GMT

A few birds might not seem like a big deal, but unmanaged populations can quickly create real problems on a dairy. From feed loss to biosecurity concerns, birds can put herd health and even profitability at risk.

While there’s no perfect solution for ridding dairies of birds, control starts with understanding what’s legally allowed, taking timely action and using multiple strategies consistently. Starting early and applying consistent measures helps prevent issues before they escalate and creates conditions that make barns less appealing to these nuisance pests.

How Much Damage Can Birds Cause?

Bird-related damage and feed waste can be substantial, particularly when large flocks are present. Research from the University of Kentucky indicates a single European starling consumes approximately 0.0625 lb. of feed per day. While that amount might not seem like a lot, it can add up quickly. A flock of 10,000 birds can consume up to 500 lb. of feed daily, resulting in significant losses over time.

According to Matthew Springer, wildlife specialist, and Donna Amaral-Phillips, dairy Extension specialist, the impact extends beyond feed loss. Birds often target high-nutrient components of the ration, leaving behind an unbalanced mix. This inconsistency can negatively affect intake and animal performance, even when feed delivery is otherwise well managed.

Bird droppings are another headache. Manure from roosting birds can contaminate feed bunks, waters and barn surfaces, increasing the risk of disease transmission. When they have easy access to feed and housing areas, they can create added biosecurity challenges. Birds are known carriers of E. coli and Salmonella and can potentially carry highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu. Working to keep these pests out of barns can help protect herd health and reduce the risk of disease.

Know the Legal Limits

Before taking steps to manage birds, producers need to understand the legal requirements that govern control methods. Bird control is regulated by state and federal law, so it is important to check with your state wildlife division before creating a control plan.

Many bird species are legally protected, so it’s important to know the rules before taking action. It is illegal to kill or harm protected birds without a permit, and you cannot disturb nests that contain eggs or young. If your control measures could affect these species, you’ll need a Migratory Bird Depredation Permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, often obtained with help from USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services. Starting with your state wildlife agency can save headaches later and keep your plan within the rules.

Start With Prevention and Timing

Bird control works best when prevention starts early and is adjusted throughout the year. Even during winter, acting quickly can keep birds from settling in and establishing roosts that are harder to remove later.

Focus winter prevention efforts on:

Sealing gaps around vents, eaves and rooflines
Keeping feed areas clean and covered
Installing plastic strip curtains on doors to limit entry

Birds tend to stick around when they find an easy meal, so limiting access to feed is essential. To reduce feed-related attractants:

Clean up spilled feed daily
Store minerals and additives in sealed bins when possible
Keep commodity bays tidy and sweep up loose feed regularly

Water can also attract birds. If they can drink or bathe in waterers, they are more likely to stay.

Prevent birds from perching on waterer edges
Adjust water levels so birds can’t easily reach the water
Clean waterers frequently to remove debris and droppings

Exclusion and Netting

Keeping birds out of barns is one of the most effective long-term strategies, but it takes planning and persistence. Because barns need airflow and room for equipment, completely sealing them isn’t always practical. Instead, focus on improving the spots birds are most likely to use.

Some practical ways to keep birds out include:

Closing gaps around vents, eaves and rooflines
Hanging plastic strip curtains on doors to limit entry
Using netting in areas where birds tend to roost or nest

Plastic strip curtains are especially helpful because they let people and equipment pass through while keeping birds out. Any openings larger than half an inch around vents, eaves and lofts should be blocked with wood, metal or wire mesh. These steps won’t get rid of every bird, but they can go a long way toward reducing roosting and nesting in barns.

Make Roosting Sites Uncomfortable

Birds prefer flat surfaces for perching, so changing those surfaces can make barns less inviting.

Ways to discourage roosting inside the barn:

Alter ledges to angles of 60 degrees or greater
Add angled wood or metal sheathing to problem areas
Install porcupine wire on ledges and rails

Outside the barn, you can also make your property less appealing by:

Thinning tree branches near buildings to remove perch sites
Reducing wind protection that shelters birds, encouraging them to move elsewhere

Scare Tactics Require Persistence

Visual scare devices and distress calls can help discourage birds, but they must be changed regularly. Birds quickly become accustomed to static deterrents. Combining visual and sound deterrents and rotating them throughout the year improves effectiveness.

Examples of scare tactics include:

• Reflective tape or colored flags
• Flashing or revolving lights
• Distress calls or AM/FM radios
• Wind chimes or loud noises
• Replicas of hawks, owls or snakes

A Year-Round Commitment

Birds are a persistent nuisance on farms, and their presence can affect everything from feed quality to overall herd health. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution to eliminate them completely, so managing their numbers and keeping them out of barns requires attention year-round. The most effective programs start early, use a mix of strategies and adjust seasonally as bird activity changes.

First Case of Avian Flu Detected in Wisconsin Dairy Herd

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:35:02 GMT

A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in a dairy herd in Dodge County, Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced Sunday. This marks the first confirmed detection of the virus in dairy cattle in the state.

Dodge County, Wisconsin

(USDA)

The herd was identified through routine National Milk Testing Strategy screening, not the surveillance required for moving cattle across state lines. The affected farm has been quarantined, and any cattle showing signs of illness are being separated for treatment.

Bird flu has already been detected in poultry flocks in Wisconsin. On Dec. 9, state officials reported HPAI in a flock in Marquette County, which is just one county away from the affected dairy herd.

HPAI in dairy cattle has been documented in the U.S. before, with the first detections reported in March 2024 in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas. Since then, there have been more than 1,000 confirmed cases across 18 states, primarily through targeted testing and monitoring programs. While the pace of new detections has slowed in recent months, one additional confirmed case has been reported in California within the past 30 days, indicating the virus is still a threat.

HPAI Confirmed Cases in the Last 30 Days

(USDA)

Total HPAI Confirmed Cases

(USDA)

A Wake-Up Call for Dairy Biosecurity

The Wisconsin case comes as new research from Farm Journal highlights ongoing gaps in dairy biosecurity practices nationwide. A survey of more than 300 dairy producers, presented at the MILK Business Conference, found that while many operations report having biosecurity plans in place, consistent implementation and regular review remain a challenge.

According to the survey, 68% of farms with at least 250 cows say they have a biosecurity plan, yet 34% of those producers acknowledge they do not routinely review or update it. The findings point to vulnerabilities at a time when disease threats such as HPAI, New World screwworm and bovine spongiform encephalopathy continue to raise concern across the livestock sector.

(Farm Journal)

“We need biosecurity efforts to be more impactful at the ground level,” said Kirk Ramsey, professional services veterinarian with Neogen, who reviewed the survey results. “Not only to prevent major outbreaks, but also to protect employees and families from what could be carried home every day.”

As emerging diseases continue to challenge dairy operations, the research reinforces the importance of consistent, practical biosecurity measures to reduce risk and protect herd health.

What are the Symptoms of HPAI in Dairy Cattle?

As monitoring continues, officials are urging producers to stay alert for early signs of illness within their herds, as prompt detection and response remain key to limiting further spread. Signs of HPAI include:

Drop in milk production
Loss of appetite
Changes in manure consistency
Thickened or colostrum-like milk
Low-grade fever

State officials are monitoring the situation and working closely with the farm to contain the virus and prevent further spread. DATCP emphasized there is no concern for the safety of the commercial milk supply, as pasteurization eliminates the virus. The CDC considers the human health risk low.

Read more on HPAI in dairy:

Why We're Seeing More Bird Flu Infections Earlier

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:21:27 GMT

According to the USDA-APHIS dashboard , there have been 36 commercial flocks of poultry infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the past 30 days. Including backyard flocks, it totals more than 1.8 million birds.

Rebecca Eifert Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, says the disease has arrived earlier than “usual” as wild birds spread the virus with their seasonal migration patterns.

“We typically don’t see avian influenza until January or February,” she says. “This year we started October 9.”

Matt Makens of Makens Weather says weather patterns play a role in bird movement, and therefore virus transmission.

“In winters like this. our temperatures will be very volatile. There’ll be swings of very, very warm days. And then very, very cold days. And I think there is a connection to bird flu spread in those warmer periods,” he says.

Indiana is a poultry powerhouse for commercial production, ranking No. 1 in duck (60% of the U.S. duck produced), No. 3 in eggs, No. 4 in turkey, and a large-scale epicenter for broiler production as well.

While HPAI has been a renewed biosecurity concern for poultry since Feb. 2022, the infection has set into a seasonal pattern—creating some predictability. However, the early onset of birds being infected this fall has Joniskan and industry members concerned a long and difficult season is ahead.

“Typically, it fades over the summer. The virus burns itself out with birds in the Arctic,” she says. “That hasn’t been happening. The virus isn’t following the rules. It’s back, and it’s early.”

The first infections in Indiana were in northern countries and affected ducks and free-range egg layers. Currently, Indiana has the most reports of HPAI infection in commercial and backyard flocks for the past 30 days.

States reporting recent infections in commercial flocks are: California, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The past decade has brought an increased focus on biosecurity and disease prevention.

“When we had avian influenza in 2015 and 2016, there were a lot of learnings on how to reduce the risk of introduction of the virus on your farm,” she explains. “There were changes put in place, including annual biosecurity reviews.”

She says poultry producers in Indiana have taken the virus risk seriously and are actively preventing its introduction while also being ready to respond to it.

“Our companies across the state have taken the learning from ‘15/’16 and what we’ve learned since 2022, and they’ve doubled down to try to reduce any opportunity for introduction wherever they can. It’s difficult, but it’s less expensive and trying than the dealing with an infection,” she says.

Once a flock is infected, the birds don’t recover from the virus, and depopulation is the end result.

Veterinarian Becomes Disease Detective: Nichols Connects Animal Disease and Human Health

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 20:00:14 GMT

Growing up on a New Mexico ranch, veterinarian and public health leader Megin Nichols says she learned early the health of animals, humans and the environment are deeply connected.

Initially planning to practice small animal medicine, she says her plans began to pivot when she met a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemic intelligence service officer who sparked her interest in public health. That realization led her to pursue a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota, with a focus on food safety and biosecurity. Her career has included roles in local, state and federal health departments, investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and developing strategies to prevent them.

“Life has a way of taking you in places you never anticipated,” she shared during the 2025 Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture Oct. 6 at Kansas State University.

Today, as the CDC’s director in the division of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases, she lends her expertise to efforts involving disease investigation, food safety, antimicrobial resistance and agriculture literacy.

Megin Nichols has more than 15 years of zoonotic disease experience and has served at the federal and state levels. She has served as the lead of the Enteric Zoonoses Team investigating multistate outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli. Prior to joining CDC, Nichols worked as the Principal Investigator of the Active Bacterial Core Surveillance Program at the New Mexico Department of Health for five years.

(Angie Stump Denton)

One Health: Connecting Animal Disease and Human Health

Nichols’ work focuses on the One Health concept.

“One Health is recognizing the health and well-being of humans, of animals and our environment are all interconnected,” she explains. “One Health is something that many of us do every single day and are very, very aware of, especially if you have ties to agriculture and the land. But One Health as a concept oftentimes is difficult to fully understand.”

Nichols says One Health is:

Ongoing relationships with animal agencies.
Understand the culture of agriculture.
Having access to integrated human and animal surveillance.
Protocols for conducting joint response investigations.
Agreements for sharing biological samples and lab results.
Established lines of communication with agriculture and animal industry.
Plans for unified communication messaging.
Need to build linkages and trust before and outbreak.

“What happens in one area can significantly impact others — whether it’s a wildfire, a disease outbreak or environmental changes,” Nichols summarizes.

Pandemic and Disease Response Insights

Nichols was a leader in investigating and finding unique solutions for the livestock industry and specifically meat packing industry related to COVID-19.

“In April 2020, I got a call from my supervisor saying there are some meat, poultry packing plants that are going down because of labor shortages and illness,” she explains.

She selected and lead a team to figure out how to get the plants opened back up safely and to find unique solution to deal with the related animal welfare issues.

Summarizing the experiences, Nichols reports the estimated economic cost of COVID-19 is $14 trillion. Along with supply chain disruptions the industry experienced changes in consumer behavior, labor shortage and complex operations challenges. On a positive note, she says the industry did experience a lot of innovation and uptake of technology due to the pandemic, which resulted in innovative approaches to workplace safety and communication.

“We saw innovative strategies where if one person got sick, they looked around that worker and said, ‘OK, who do we need to monitor quickly for symptoms?’” she says.

Nichols also discussed the increase in salmonella outbreaks during the pandemic. She links the rise to the increase in backyard poultry ownership and the improper handling of backyard chickens.

“Many new chicken owners were unaware of disease transmission risks,” she explains.

Nichols also shared insights to H5N1 influenza and emphasized the complexity of tracking and preventing. She highlights the need for integrated, cross-species surveillance and communication strategies.

She also touched on emerging threats, including New World screwworm (NWS) . Her message emphasized the importance of prevention, control and preparedness.

She shares these five key strategies related to NWS:

Surveillance. Early dection through wound inspections and reporting in livestock.
Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Ongoing release of serile male flies to prevent reproduction.
Biosecurity. Movement control of imported animals and monitoring at entry points.
Public Awareness. Education for doctors, ranchers, veterinarians and travelers.
Rapid Response Planning. Multi-agency coordination to contain outbreaks swiftly and deploy sterile flies.

Agricultural Literacy, Communication is Key

“Growing up in the middle of nowhere, I also came to understand that not everyone appreciates — or even understands — where their food comes from,” Nichols says.

She shared a 1993 study that revealed significant gaps in public knowledge about agriculture. She summarizes understanding food systems involves knowing:

Where food comes from.
How it’s produced.
Its impact on economy, environment and technology.

Throughout her lecture she shared the importance of transforming complex scientific concepts into engaging, accessible insights that resonate with students, farmers, ranchers and public health professionals alike.

“It doesn’t matter how much information we have if we don’t get it out to the people,” Nichols says.

She stresses the importance of agricultural communication specialists in translating scientific information and engaging audiences.

“Don’t leave the communications to the scientists,” she says.

Nichols emphasizes that agricultural literacy and effective communication are crucial for bridging knowledge gaps and building public understanding of food systems.

She shares this advice for agricultural advocates:

Bring agricultural perspective to discussions by speaking up and sharing lived experiences.
Challenge misconceptions with personal stories by focusing on storytelling rather than technical details.
Understand your audience and use relatable language and provide context.

Nichols stresses the importance of preparedness and collaboration. She explains the importance of local-level discussions and community preparedness, suggesting that some of the most effective emergency preparedness conversations happen “at the coffee house” or during casual community gatherings.

Is the Swine Industry Ready for H5N1? Texas Veterinarian Says “No”

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:11:29 GMT

Nearly one year ago, USDA made a shocking announcement. Highly pathogenic avian influenza type A H5N1 (H5N1) was identified in milk and in cows on two dairy farms in Texas and two dairy farms in Kansas. A disease no veterinarian had previously feared in cattle had jumped from wild birds to domestic cows.

Scanlon Daniels, a large animal veterinarian with Circle H Headquarters in Dalhart, Texas, received a call 10 days prior to that announcement that he will never forget from one of his dairy clients that something wasn’t right with some of the cows.

“My client sent me a text: ‘I think I might have it,’” Daniels says.

He went out to the dairy, collected samples from four cows and submitted them to Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) as any good swine vet would do, he explained, during the American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting. He also took some nasal swabs and tested those in his own lab. He did a follow-up, collecting samples from 20 different cows later on that week and sent those to the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

The four cows that initially presented symptoms of decreased rumination, decreased activity and nasal discharge were eventually confirmed to have H5N1. Right around that same time, he said there were reports from Texas Animal Health Commission about a backyard poultry flock in the county next door diagnosed with H5N1.

Scanlon Daniels shares his experience with H5N1 in Texas.

(Jennifer Shike)

“We had a suspicion that it could have been influenza, because of what was going on with some of the detections in birds in that area,” Daniels says. “But from my standpoint, I was thinking about flu from all my experiences dealing with it in pigs, and it didn’t present as a primary respiratory pathogen. It presented as a mastitis pathogen. Once we knew to look for it in milk, it was super easy to find, but we had to get over that hurdle to be able to rapidly identify it.”

In the past 15 years, Daniels grew his practice to develop its own laboratory capabilities, conducting PCR and Elisa testing for swine, dairy and beef clients. This, combined with his involvement with H5N1 from before it was even identified as an issue in cattle, caused him to bring up an incredibly important question for the swine industry: Are you ready for H5N1?

Who is Steering the Ship?
To date, H5N1 has been discovered in one pig that was on a hobby farm with H5N1-infected poultry. Although this is considered an isolated incident and hasn’t been discovered in the commercial swine population, it needs to be on everyone’s radar, Daniels says.

Andrew Bowman, DVM, one of the country’s top swine influenza experts, joined The PORK Podcast during a special report on H5N1 last fall. A professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University, he is well-known for his expertise in swine production medicine, veterinary public health and epidemiology.

“Across the swine industry, we routinely deal with influenza, so we’re pretty well versed in flu,” Bowman says. “But this adds a whole other character to the scene that we really don’t want reassorting with the flu viruses we already have.”

One of the things that makes H5N1 different than other new swine disease outbreaks is that the USDA has jurisdiction over H5 in any animal, so they have the regulatory authority, Daniels says.

“USDA had no rules or regulations around H5 in cattle, and we’re at the same place today in the swine industry,” Daniels adds. “If we were to find H5 in swine, USDA would have the authority and there are no rules or regulations around it.”

This has made the discovery of H5N1 in dairy cattle challenging in the past year, because it’s taken a long time for those regulations to be developed.

“There’s the state and federal aspect of that, where states have autonomy to set their own rules, and then federal rules can come in place that everybody has to abide by,” he points out. “There’s been this slowly evolving plan with a patchwork of regulations by different states. That’s been challenging to keep up with as a veterinarian and a producer.”

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has likely amplified concerns around influenza’s ability to be transmitted from humans to animals and from animals to humans.

“This has resulted in a high concern about influenza being the next COVID. Yes, that could happen. Today it hasn’t to that degree.”

Scanlon Daniels

People are fearful of government influence and interaction, he says.

“No one wanted to be first or second or third to get H5N1 in their dairy cattle – just like no one wanted to be first to get COVID-19. There was a reluctance to test because of the uncertainty of it,” Daniels explains. “People fear government overreach or regulations that wouldn’t be applied in a fair or equal way across the industry.”

The Stakes are High
Everybody has a stake in this issue, Daniels says. The challenge is that everybody comes to it with differing priorities regarding the issues at hand.

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners invited seven different groups that have the ability to provide vaccine to share about their technologies on a webinar. This gave avian and bovine veterinarians alike exposure to their vaccine technology.

“The hard part is getting everybody to agree on what needs to happen,” Daniels says.

But he believes the vaccine question is worth talking about.

“If it was just another influenza, we would have had a vaccine available in a couple weeks, honestly,” he says. “The government has the ability to authorize vaccine use under an emergency use exemption. For all the concerns that have been talked about with export markets, and how people might respond from a trade standpoint, they haven’t been willing to look at that. But if we could use vaccine on an experimental use basis, we would know a lot more by now about the value of that intervention.”

In a USDA update on March 20, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said USDA is exploring the viability of vaccinating poultry for highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, Rollins said the use of any vaccine for poultry or any animal species has not been authorized at this time.

“I know there has been some misreporting on that,” Rollins said. “The day we rolled out the plan, I actually talked about the fact that we’re not ready to vaccinate. We need to do some more research, and so that has not changed, but I do look forward to this next process of learning more about getting more research done and perhaps seeing what makes sense for the country moving forward, once that is concluded.”

Another concern on Daniels’ mind is the implication with human health. Influenza A viruses are common in people. They are constantly changing and reassorting.

“Influenza viruses exist and circulate in people all the time,” says National Pork Board chief veterinarian Dusty Oedekoven . “The threat of influenza virus infection is ever present. It’s why healthcare providers recommend people get annual influenza vaccines to prevent against new strains of the virus that are emerging all the time.”

Daniels says the unknown transmission opportunities between humans and animals, especially pigs, can be concerning.

“The transmission from people to pigs is a legitimate concern. As an industry, it might be worthwhile doing some serological surveillance.”

Scanlon Daniels

At a recent bovine practitioners meeting, they surveyed 150 veterinarians and found three of them have had prior exposure to H5N1, he says. Some of those had no contact with dairy or birds.

“It would probably be wise for us to do some serosurveillance to know if people working at hog farms have had some exposure and it hasn’t transmitted yet,” he points out.

For example, his lab had a lot of infected milk come through before they knew what it was.

“My staff had legitimate fears and concerns we had to address,” Daniels says. “Fortunately, we didn’t experience any illness or lost time outside of the normal. That could have been different. We can’t lose sight of the human aspect of it. I am a human, a swine vet and a beef producer, so I can understand several aspects of it from a balanced way.”

Hurdle By Hurdle
At the end of the day, the swine industry has a lot to learn from what the dairy industry experienced in the past year, he says.

“On one hand, we have advantages relative to bovine veterinarians because we have a strong background and applied experience in diagnostics and strong working relationships with state and federal animal health officials,” Daniels says. “We have a mindset of disease elimination when possible and strong integrated relationships with producers. The swine industry also has the ability to direct Pork Checkoff dollars toward research (the dairy industry does not).”

On the other hand, he says many of the factors that have caused consternation will continue to be problematic if HPAI is identified in swine. Studies need to be done looking at H5N1 in swine, he says. If a sow is infected, does it transmit to pigs? Can her pigs shed it to contact controls? How could the movement of wean pigs spread the disease?

He also wonders if pigs have some cross-protective immunity at this point because influenza is pretty much endemic in almost all swine populations. And, even though it presents in the mammary system in cows, he argues the swine industry could do some additional work in growing pigs, because it would be easier to deal with there than on a sow farm.

One of the biggest hurdles is that H5N1 is a select agent. Once samples are known to be positive for H5N1 antigen, there are many requirements related to storage, handling and testing that come into play. Space is limited to research H5N1 and Daniels is concerned at the delay in testing this virus in swine.

“Another challenge is H5N1 is of economic significance to dairy producers but has not been great enough to stimulate much independent industry action.”

Scanlon Daniels

For comparison, the relative economic impact of H5N1 in dairy is estimated to be approximately 10% that of a porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreak in swine, he says.

“We have seen growing interest by veterinarians and producers in eliminating H1 and H3 influenza infections in swine, but the interest and adoption is less than what we see for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and PEDV,” Daniels says. “Would we see the same if H5N1 was identified in swine?”

He believes the swine industry still has an opportunity to develop the response to H5N1 in commercial swine before it occurs.

“It’s time to get some of these questions answered that are important to us,” Daniels says. “If it were to happen, we need to be prepared to address some of the risk factors, things that are real versus the fear of the unknown.”

Your Next Read: Influenza Expert Gets Real About the H5N1 Risk to Your Swine Herd

Editor’s Note: On March 12, APHIS confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N9 in a broiler chicken breeder flock in Mississippi. APHIS has previously documented H7 low pathogenicity avian influenza in U.S. wild bird surveillance this year and in previous years, but this is the first HPAI H7 case in commercial poultry in the U.S. since 2017. This H7N9 virus is a fully North American virus of wild bird-origin and is unrelated to the Eurasian H5N1 currently circulating in the U.S. Spillovers of avian influenza from wild bird sources can occur due to breaches in biosecurity. APHIS closely monitors these subtypes because H5 and H7 LPAI viruses in poultry species such as chickens and turkeys can mutate into highly pathogenic avian influenza.

More Funding Going to Tackle HPAI H5N1, Egg Imports are Now Underway to Stabilize Supply

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 20:49:05 GMT

On Thursday morning, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins gave an update on progress the Trump administration is making on the five-prong strategy it unveiled Feb. 26 to combat avian influenza virus type A (H5N1).

Speaking to industry stakeholders, media and offices of elected officials, Rollins focused on the administration’s work to lower egg prices and improve supply, while also emphasizing the importance of biosecurity in protecting U.S. poultry flocks from the virus.

Regarding egg prices, she said wholesale prices are down nearly 50% from their peak in late February from $8.53 then to $4.08 currently.

However, Rollins said she realizes that wholesale prices don’t automatically show up as reductions in retail prices.

“I know for some of us who are shopping that we’ve seen egg prices drop immediately, which has been true for me. But then we’ll hear from people in other parts of the country where they have yet to see that reduction on their grocery store shelf.”

With Easter just a few weeks away, she acknowledged that egg demand is always “unusually high during the season,” and that egg prices could potentially move back up.

To help address the egg shortage, Rollins noted that shell egg exports have declined by 8%, “keeping more eggs in the U.S. and lowering prices.”

In addition, the Trump administration is allowing egg imports as a temporary measure to stabilize prices and supply. Rollins’ chief of staff Kailee Buller said this measure would likely be discontinued once those measures were achieved.

USDA Focuses On Biosecurity For Poultry Operations
Rollins said biosecurity in poultry flocks will continue to be a major part of the Trump administration’s plan to address H5N1, moving forward.

“Our pilot programs have proven that biosecurity is the most important thing our farmers can do to protect our flocks against the disease, at least right now,” she said.

The USDA is working closely, she said, with its federal partners including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to “combat avian flu as a unified federal family.”

On Wednesday, USDA announced it is expanding the availability of its biosecurity assessments to commercial poultry producers.

“These assessments, which were previously available on a limited basis have been extremely successful in improving biosecurity on individual premises and preventing the introduction or spread of avian influenza,” Rollins said.

While USDA is exploring the viability of vaccinating poultry for H5N1, she said the use of any vaccine for poultry or any animal species has not been authorized at this time.

“I know there has been some misreporting on that,” Rollins said. “The day we rolled out the plan, I actually talked about the fact that we’re not ready to vaccinate. We need to do some more research, and so that has not changed, but I do look forward to this next process of learning more about getting more research done and perhaps seeing what makes sense for the country moving forward, once that is concluded.”

Dairy Is Not Part Of USDA’s Primary H5N1 Focus
No information was offered during the conference call to address the issue of H5N1 in dairy cattle or other livestock or animal species.

Mike Watson, administrator of USDA-APHIS, said right now USDA is focused on the poultry vaccine.

“We’re looking for a vaccine that has sterilizing immunity but also an opportunity for us to have different introduction methods for the vaccine right now, as injections are the only possibility,” he said. “We need new tools, whether it’s water based, aerosol based, those kind of things. We’re looking for manufacturers to really look at what those options might be, to really provide us with a vaccine that matches the current strain but also is highly effective. And again, this is really focused on poultry.”

Buller said there is already quite a bit of research at USDA on the topic in dairy.

“Please rest assured, we are thinking of you all (in dairy). We know you all are impacted. But for this particular strategy, we have been hyper-focused on the poultry side. USDA has separate work streams as we’re working through this on the cattle and dairy side.”

One of the media asked whether Sec. Rollins had talked further with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding his idea of letting H5N1 burn through poultry flocks to identify birds that might have immunity or show resistance to the virus.

Buller answered the question, as Rollins had stepped away from the call. “I have not been engaged specifically with those conversations with the Secretary and Secretary Kennedy,” she said. “They are talking very regularly and you are aligned on the approach, but in terms of that specific topic, there’s no further light I can shed on that at this time.”

Assessments Available To Poultry Operations
USDA is offering two different, free, voluntary biosecurity assessments for poultry operations not currently affected by HPAI.

The first is a wildlife biosecurity assessment. The second is a general biosecurity assessment. Poultry producers can request one or both of these free assessments.

Per the wildlife biosecurity assessment, Rollins said USDA will conduct on-farm assessments at poultry facilities and provide recommendations to producers for facility repairs and wildlife management techniques. The assessments include a series of regular engagements, including wildlife hazard identification surveys, wildlife abundance surveys and wildlife management on the premises.

“USDA has assessed approximately 130 facilities to date (in 2025), and plans on doing significantly more moving forward and expanding that program,” she said.

For the general biosecurity assessment, USDA will work with poultry producers to review biosecurity plans and physical measures.

“This is a proactive resource for premises that are outside of avian flu control areas to identify and mitigate potential biosecurity gaps,” she said.

Funding Is Ramped Up To Address HPAI In Poultry
The USDA announced on Thursday that up to $100 million in funding will be available to support projects on avian influenza, prevention, therapeutics, vaccines and research.

“USDA will invest up to $100 million in these projects, which will identify and foster innovative solutions to fight avian flu and directly support American producers,” Rollins said during the conference call.

Funding is available through a competitive process to for-profit organizations, including manufacturers of vaccines, biologics and therapeutics, as well as states, universities, livestock producer organizations and other eligible entities, she noted.

USDA will prioritize one or more of the following. First, it will support the development of novel therapeutics to address HPAI in poultry. Second, it will support research to further understand the risk pathways of avian influenza for producers and to inform improved biosecurity and response strategies.

“Let me just say, as a quick aside, I’ve had multiples and multiples and multiples of conversations with some of our chicken farmers across the country —many of them have been highly successful at not having the bird flu infect their populations,” Rollins said. “Better understanding of risk pathways and realizing what best practices are is a big part of (this work).”

The third focus is on the development of novel vaccines to protect poultry from H5N1 while promoting biosecurity.

“That will all be part of the research funding opportunity that we announced about an hour and a half ago,” Rollins said.

USDA will test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions to prevent the virus and treat infected flocks.

“USDA, in consultation with HHS, has already had multiple conversations with Secretary Kennedy and leaders in the NIH and CDC, but will also be exploring prevention strategies to promote biosecurity in agriculture and in humans, to ensure limited impact on American farmers,” Rollins noted.

USDA is offering a webinar to assist interested applicants in learning more about the funding opportunity and how to submit a proposal on Tuesday, April 1 at 12 p.m. Eastern. No details on how to participate in the webinar have been communicated yet.

“As we try to do everything under this president and here at USDA, we will be as fast and efficient and effective as we can possibly be, working around the clock,” Rollins said.

Buller added that Sec. Rollins and her staff will continue to host update calls regularly.

“It’s very important to Sec. Rollins that we are showing progress on this five-prong plan and being honest and open with the public about what we’re up to and the progress and potential challenges that we have ahead,” Buller said. “We have an open door here, and we remain open to having conversations and hearing from stakeholders.”

Trump Administration Announces $1 Billion to Combat Avian Flu and Soaring Egg Prices

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:28:34 GMT

The Trump administration is investing up to $1 billion in new funding to combat impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and soaring egg prices.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins in the Wall Street Journal said, “There’s no silver bullet to eradicating avian flu.” She laid out a five-point plan to address the situation.

Dedicate up to $500 million to helping U.S. poultry producers implement “gold-standard” biosecurity measures. USDA has developed a successful pilot program, called Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments, to identify and implement more safety measures. USDA will pay up to 75% of the cost to address any identified biosecurity vulnerabilities at poultry farms.
Make up to $400 million of increased financial relief available to farmers whose flocks are affected by avian flu, and we will assist them in receiving faster approval to begin safe operations again after an outbreak.
USDA is exploring the use of vaccines and therapeutics for laying chickens. While vaccines aren’t a stand-alone solution, we will provide up to $100 million in research and development of vaccines and therapeutics, to improve their efficacy and efficiency. This should help reduce the need to “depopulate” flocks, which means killing chickens on a farm where there’s an outbreak. Note: USDA hasn’t yet authorized the use of a vaccine. Before making a determination, USDA will consult state leaders, poultry and dairy farmers, and public-health professionals. The agency will also work with trading partners to minimize potential negative trade effects for U.S. producers and to assess public-health concerns.
USDA will take other actions to lower the price of eggs. For starters, it will remove unnecessary regulatory burdens on egg producers where possible. This will include examining the best way to protect farmers from overly prescriptive state laws, such as California’s Proposition 12, which established minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens.
USDA will consider temporary import options to reduce egg costs in the short term. We will proceed with imports only if the eggs meet stringent U.S. safety standards and if we determine that doing so won’t jeopardize American farmers’ access to markets in the future.

Senate Ag Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) said, “Producers and consumers alike have experienced the economic burden of this outbreak since 2022. I applaud Secretary Rollins and the Trump administration for prioritizing a strategy to combat this evolving threat. I look forward to working with USDA to ensure all poultry and livestock producers’ unique challenges are taken into consideration and they have the tools they need to address animal disease risks.”

In the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed , Rollins said some of the money will come from cuts to USDA spending by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“Egg prices are skyrocketing, and it isn’t simply a matter of inflation. Grocery prices rose by more than 20% on President Biden’s watch, but the average price of a dozen eggs went up 237%, from $1.47 in January 2021 to $4.95 last month,” Rollins said wrote in the Wall Street Journal. “This matters for American families because eggs are a healthy, accessible and generally affordable source of protein.”

By the Numbers: Soaring Egg Prices
USDA upped its 2025 egg price forecast to a 41.1% increase (range of up 15.0% to 74.9%), more than double the 20.3% rise they forecast in January. USDA started their 2025 egg price forecast in July 2024 looking for them to decline 7.6% versus 2024

“Retail egg prices increased by 13.8% in January 2025 after rising by 8.4% in December 2024,” USDA detailed. “Retail egg prices continue to experience volatile month-to-month changes due to an outbreak of HPAI that began in 2022. HPAI contributes to elevated egg prices by reducing egg-layer flocks and egg production. About 18.8 million commercial egg layers were affected by HPAI in January 2025, the highest monthly total since the outbreak began in 2022.”

Egg prices in January were 53% higher than January 2024 and “surpassed the previous peak prices in January 2023,” USDA detailed.

I just left a message for Chris Kempczinski, CEO of McDonalds USA, thanking him for the choice to not add surcharge to eggs. THANK YOU @McDonalds!!!

(note the egg mcmuffin🥰🍳) https://t.co/UhBUJicTje pic.twitter.com/kRu6DXYutg
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) February 26, 2025

Avian Flu a Top Priority for Rollins
On Monday, Rollins met with poultry farmers and industry leaders in Texas to address the ongoing avian flu crisis. She toured a Cal-Maine Foods facility in Bogata before hosting a roundtable in Mount Pleasant, where discussions focused on outbreak response and mitigation strategies. Rollins criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the issue, emphasizing the Trump administration’s commitment to supporting farmers and stabilizing egg prices.

“Clearly, this is a massive issue for our poultry producers, especially our egg layers,” Rollins told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory, in an exclusive interview, during Top Producer Summit. “Ensuring that we have a plan, not just for the short-term to bring down egg prices, which the president is very focused on, but for the long-term. What are the best practices around the world? Why in America have we been hit so hard? Why did the last USDA, a couple of years ago, recognize it as a major issue, but not many steps were taken.”

Just hours after being confirmed, Rollins’ first official meeting at the White House was on avian flu. She told Flory it’s her top priority right now, and she’s gathered a team from within USDA and the White House to focus on the issue.

“I’ve been talking to governors. I’ve been talking to the companies that are facing this. I’ve been talking to grocery. I mean, we’ve been talking to everyone, trying to come up with a big toolkit to be able to really approach this and hopefully figure out a way to, again, solve it for the long-term,” Rollins said.

Flory followed up by asking Rollins if vaccines will be one of the tools used by USDA.

“Vaccines are being discussed right now. I think that there is a lot of opinion on that on both sides. And we’re working through all of that right now,” Rollins told Flory.

The big announcement released on Wednesday did not include any plans to approve vaccines to combat the disease.

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As the Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu, it’s a Complicated Issue in Need of a Long-Term Solution

As Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu, It's a Complicated Issue in Need of Long-Term Solutions

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 14:36:46 GMT

The Trump administration is rolling out a new strategy to combat avian flu, moving away from mass culling of infected flocks of egg-laying chickens. But as Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Farm Journal in an exclusive interview, the key to solving the issue is to find a solution that doesn’t just address the avian flu outbreak in the short-term. The plan also needs to find a solution that works long-term, as well.

USDA’s food price outlook report released Tuesday shows the sticker shock shoppers are seeing for egg prices. The report egg prices for 2025 now more double their previous forecast, now up 41.1% midpoint versus 20.3% last month.

Also on Monday, Rollins met with poultry farmers and industry leaders in Texas to address the ongoing avian flu crisis. She toured a Cal-Maine Foods facility in Bogata before hosting a roundtable in Mount Pleasant, where discussions focused on outbreak response and mitigation strategies. Rollins criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the issue, emphasizing the Trump administration’s commitment to supporting farmers and stabilizing egg prices. Following the roundtable, she spoke with local media about USDA’s efforts and the impact on Texas agriculture

That followed the Trump administration introducing a new plan last week, which was spearheaded by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and Rollins. The plan prioritizes enhanced biosecurity measures and medication to control the spread of the virus in egg-laying flocks.

“Clearly, this is a massive issue for our poultry producers, especially our egg layers,” Rollins told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory, in an exclusive interview. “Ensuring that we have a plan, not just for the short-term to bring down egg prices, which the president is very focused on, but for the long-term. What are the best practices around the world? Why in America have we been hit so hard? Why did the last USDA, a couple of years ago, recognize it as a major issue but not many steps were taken?”

Thank you East Texas! I am so grateful to so many as the learning tour continues — yesterday a poultry facility and a roundtable with #local farmers and ranchers to solicit feedback on combatting bird flu and lowering the cost of eggs. @POTUS and our team at @USDA remain… pic.twitter.com/ATXTEz0tVk
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) February 25, 2025

Flory followed up by asking Rollins if vaccines will be one of the tools used by USDA.

“Vaccines are being discussed right now. I think that there is a lot of opinion on that on both sides. And we’re working through all of that right now,” Rollins told Flory.

Part of the Trump administration’s new strategy on avian flu released so far includes:

Biosecurity and Medication: Improved containment protocols and medication aim to reduce reliance on widespread culling.
Smart Perimeter Approach: Targeted containment methods will enhance efficiency in preventing outbreaks.
Collaboration: Government scientists and global academic experts are contributing to the plan’s development.

How to Get More Eggs in the Short-Term
The National Chicken Council (NCC) is also petitioning the FDA to lift a regulation that prevents broiler industry eggs from entering the food supply, arguing the move could ease record-high egg prices caused by the bird flu outbreak.

The 2009 rule forces broiler producers to discard surplus hatching eggs instead of selling them to processors, despite government risk assessments affirming their safety. If granted, the request would allow nearly 400 million eggs annually to be used in processed foods like bread, pasta and mayonnaise, alleviating strain on table egg supplies.

NCC previously sought relief under the Biden administration in 2023 but was denied. Now, with egg prices soaring, the organization is urging swift action from the Trump administration.

USDA Reports Decline in Egg production, Signs of Recovery Ahead

USDA’s latest report highlights key trends in the poultry industry, including a 4% decline in U.S. egg production for January 2025. This drop is largely due to a 4% reduction in laying hens, driven by the ongoing avian influenza outbreak.

However, signs of recovery are emerging: egg-type chick hatching rose by 6%, and incubation numbers increased by 7%. Meanwhile, broiler production is growing, with a 3% rise in broiler chick hatching. USDA will release updated forecasts on March 11, offering a clearer picture of the industry’s trajectory.

More details:

The number of layers fell to about 363 million in January, down 3.8% from a year ago.
Egg production of 8.865 billion was down 4.2% and the lowest for the month since 2016 — when there was a previous major outbreak of bird flu.

Egg Production

(Bloomberg)

Denny’s became the latest breakfast chain to announce an egg surcharge. Earlier this month, Waffle House introduced a temporary 50-cent surcharge per egg.

Major retailers, including Costco and Trader Joe’s, have had to act as well by imposing limits on how many eggs one customer can buy. According to USDA, the avian flu has killed more than 140 million egg-laying birds in the country since 2022. At least 18.9 million birds have been culled in the past 30 days alone.

Egg Prices and Market Conditions
Conventional table eggs jumped 36 cents a dozen nationally last week, on average.

Negotiated wholesale prices for graded loose eggs are firm to moving higher with a higher undertone. Demand for retail is moderate to good, while food service interest is lower. Offerings are very light, with little chance of improvement due to ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) impacts on productive flocks.

Price Trends

National trading: White large shell eggs increased $0.33 to $8.07 per dozen
New York market: Large cartoned shell eggs rose $0.24 to $8.47 per dozen
Midwest region: Large white shell eggs increased $0.28 to $8.09 per dozen
California benchmark: Large shell eggs rose $0.05 to $9.22 per dozen

Supply and Demand
Shell egg demand has increased over the past week, with marketers struggling to cover needs due to reduced supplies from HPAI outbreaks. Spot market bids routinely outpace offers, often by a factor of ten, with prices setting daily records. Shell egg shortages are now impacting most major markets.

Inventory and Production

Overall shell egg inventory declined 2%
Large class shell eggs inventory is down just over 1%
Cage-free egg stocks decreased 3.5%
Breaking stock inventory gained 2%
Total estimated table egg production unchanged from last week and last year

Breaking and Processing
Breaking schedules are generally reduced, running 3% below year-ago levels. The volume of eggs processed last week decreased just under 1%. Production of whole eggs was up nearly 3%, while egg components (whites and yolks) continue to decline.

Frozen Egg Storage
December monthly volume of frozen eggs in storage declined 7% from November, 38% below the December 2023 level. This is the lowest level of egg products stocks recorded in the last 10 years.

NCC’s Petition to Bring More Eggs Into the Market

As noted above, the National Chicken Council is also petitioning the FDA to lift a regulation preventing broiler industry eggs from entering the food supply.

· Consumer safety vs. potential economic benefits: The FDA determined that allowing the use of surplus broiler eggs would not maintain the same level of public health protection as the current egg safety rule. The agency prioritizes consumer safety over potential economic benefits.

· Refrigeration requirements: The 2009 rule requires all eggs entering the food supply to be kept at 45°F within 36 hours of being laid. Broiler eggs are typically stored at 65°F, which is incompatible with this requirement.

· Different risk profiles: While the NCC argues that pasteurized surplus broiler eggs present a different risk profile than raw table eggs, the FDA has not been convinced by this argument.

· Regulatory jurisdiction: The FDA has authority over shell eggs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, while USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulates egg products. This division of responsibilities complicates the decision-making process.

· Previous rejections: The FDA has consistently denied similar petitions in the past, including one in June 2023. This suggests a long-standing policy position that is unlikely to change without significant new evidence or circumstances.

What Could Happen Moving Forward

USDA officials and analysts clearly understand the issue, but they are dealing with a topic that involves short- and long-term issues, FDA and White House officials. Also, throw in politics, with Democrats asking almost daily what the White House is doing about high egg prices.

A whole-of-government approach is evident on this issue via the Trump administration. That was not the approach on this topic during the Biden administration, even though various steps were taken by then USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. They just came too late or were not aggressive enough, sources conclude.

Industry contacts say the failure of former President Biden’s team to deal with the spread of HPAI means both a short- and long-term approach is now needed. There is only so much that can be done in the short run to lower egg prices. That topic should have been dealt with via more effective HPAI policy a few years ago, contacts advise. It was not.

The push is on for a multi-focus, all-inclusive approach including:

An increased focus on biosecurity, but with funding to help the industry accomplish that because of indemnity and other issues.
Finding different modes of administering medications, such as via water, feed and aerosols. But those methods are not yet available. Thus the need for expanded research funding on this topic.
Coming up with a trade strategy that could involve regionalization (trading with states outside impacted areas). But that has to be negotiated with trading partners, and that takes time. Also, industry officials are very hesitant about trade issues. A regionalization approach could be taken, but only after more vaccines are available. However, there are already regionalization agreements in place with some countries on bird flu. One question is what would any vaccination effort do to those regionalization agreements?
Increasing imports of eggs, but this could be limited and presents some quality issues and food safety issues (testing, etc.). But egg exporting countries are increasingly looking at the U.S. market due to prices and wanting to boost exports.
Any discussion of an embargo on U.S. egg exports should be moot. Reason: embargoes do not work. Example: The Carter grain embargo in 1980 against the then Soviet Union.

Vaccines:
USDA recently granted Zoetis a conditional USDA approval for an avian flu vaccine. Major poultry and dairy organizations back vaccine use to control the virus.

However, several problems exist regarding vaccines, including the trade angle previously discussed, and the fact that their effectiveness timeline wears off. Also, HPAI is multifaceted with different mutations causing vaccine-related issues.

As for FDA, if the agency is convinced somehow to temper its current safety rule, concerns still exist regarding increased threats of salmonella.

If the NCC petition would be approved in some way, increased testing for salmonella is just one requirement. Any cost-benefit analysis is difficult at best to do on this topic. Of note: It will be curious to see what HHS Secretary JFK Jr. says about this and other HPAI issues, especially the use of vaccines.

Risks:
If a change in the major depopulation strategy is implemented, the concern is that if it does not work, an explosive increase in HPAI cases could follow.

Upshot:
Limited avenues are available in the short run regarding bringing down egg prices, and containing HPAI. As previously mentioned, the reason for that in part is this topic was not taken as seriously as it should have been during the Biden administration because no such all-of-government approach was taken.

A likely game plan will or should be to lay the groundwork to deal with HPAI in the long run so it does not surface again years from now. But this will take time to unfold. Regarding egg prices, any effort to stop U.S. egg exports will likely be rejected. That means increase supply via imports and eventually more U.S. egg production, and/or reduced demand via higher prices.

Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:38:31 GMT

The Trump administration is rolling out a new strategy to combat avian flu, moving away from mass culling of infected flocks. Spearheaded by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the plan prioritizes enhanced biosecurity measures and medication to control the spread of the virus.

Key Points of the New Strategy

Biosecurity and Medication: Improved containment protocols and medication aim to reduce reliance on widespread culling.
Smart Perimeter Approach: Targeted containment methods will enhance efficiency in preventing outbreaks.
Collaboration: Government scientists and global academic experts are contributing to the plan’s development.

Recent Developments

Vaccine Approval: Zoetis received conditional USDA approval for an avian flu vaccine.
Industry Support: Major poultry and dairy organizations back vaccine use to control the virus.

Concerns and Challenges

Trade Impact: The National Chicken Council warns that vaccinating flocks could hinder poultry exports.
Efficacy of Previous Measures: Critics argue that the Biden administration’s mass culling approach was costly and ineffective.
Ongoing Outbreak: The flu has affected over 150 million birds since 2022, driving up egg prices and causing supply shortages.

Future Outlook

The plan’s success hinges on industry adoption and global trade acceptance. Balancing effective disease control with maintaining poultry exports remains a critical challenge for the administration.

NEC-Led Task Force on HPAI/Egg Prices to Confront Hurdles, Challenges

Hassett is working with industry experts and government analysts and officials, including those at USDA. Secretary Rollins late Thursday heard from various experts on the topic.

The emergence and spread of new avian influenza variants have significantly impacted egg prices, poultry production, and resulted in public health concerns, necessitating ongoing vigilance and adaptive strategies from both the industry and government agencies. Some of the issues:

Background

Bird flu was present during the first Trump administration (2017-2021). Several notable events related to avian influenza occurred during this period:

Outbreaks in 2017

In March 2017, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 virus was detected in two commercial chicken breeder flocks in the United States.
This North American lineage HPAI H7N9 virus was genetically unrelated to the Asian lineage HPAI H7N9 viruses reported in China.

Policy Continuation

A USDA bird flu response plan, updated in May 2017 during Trump’s first administration, incorporated policy guidance based on lessons from influenza outbreaks during the Obama and first Trump administrations. The plan stated that “rapid depopulation of infected poultry is critical to halt virus transmission and must be prioritized.”

Depopulation Strategy

During a March 2017 bird flu outbreak, a USDA report indicated that “nearly 253,000 birds were depopulated.”
This depopulation strategy was a continuation of long-standing practices to prevent bird flu from spreading, as confirmed by agriculture experts.

While bird flu was present during Trump’s first term, the current widespread outbreak affecting cattle and causing human infections began in 2022, after Trump left office. The ongoing situation presents new challenges for the incoming Trump administration in 2025.

The Biden administration faced significant bird flu outbreaks during its tenure, with the H5N1 virus causing widespread impacts across the United States. Here’s an overview of the outbreaks and the actions taken:

Outbreaks

The current H5N1 outbreak began in 2022 and intensified throughout the Biden administration.
By early 2025, the virus had affected over 130 million birds, including both wild and domestic populations.
The outbreak expanded to dairy cattle, with 925 dairy herds across 16 states infected by October 2024.
Human cases were reported, with 67 confirmed cases and one fatality in the U.S. by early 2025.

Actions Taken

The Biden administration and then USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack implemented several measures to address the outbreak:

Funding and Resource Allocation

By January 2025, the administration had spent approximately $1.8 billion battling bird flu since the spring of 2023.
An additional $306 million was allocated in early 2025 for various response efforts.
In May 2024, nearly $200 million was provided to contain the outbreak, with $98 million for dairy farms and $101 million split between the FDA and CDC.

Testing and Surveillance

USDA implemented a Federal Order in May 2024 requiring testing of cattle before interstate movement.
In December 2024, a new mandate was announced to test the national milk supply for bird flu.
Enhanced testing and monitoring strategies were planned to better assess the presence of H5N1.

Biosecurity Measures

Vilsack emphasized the importance of improved biosecurity as a key strategy to limit the spread of H5N1.
USDA announced assistance for producers with H5N1-affected premises to improve on-site biosecurity.

Interagency Cooperation

USDA worked closely with the FDA on lab testing and with the CDC on public health matters.
A response team including four HHS agencies (CDC, FDA, NIH, and ASPR) was established to work with USDA. (ASPR is the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.)

Public Health Initiatives

Funds were allocated to enhance hospital readiness and conduct research on therapeutics, diagnostics, and vaccines.
Local jurisdictions received funding to increase monitoring of high-risk populations, such as livestock workers.

Bottom Line: The above actions demonstrate the Biden administration’s multifaceted approach to addressing the H5N1 outbreak, focusing on containment, research, and protection of both animal and human health. However, despite these efforts, the outbreak expanded to dairy cattle, with 925 dairy herds across 16 states infected by October 2024. Human cases continued to occur, with 67 confirmed cases and one fatality by early 2025. Critics argued that the Biden administration’s response was not swift or comprehensive enough.

Vaccines

They are seen as impractical but could be used in targeted areas. Most available vaccines for avian influenza in chickens are administered through injection. This method, while effective, can be time-consuming and stressful for the birds, especially in large-scale poultry operations.

Currently, there are limited options for vaccinating chickens against bird flu via feed or water, but research is ongoing to develop more convenient methods of vaccine administration

New Variants

The disease is a moving target. USDA under then Secretary Tom Vilsack conditionally approved a vaccine made by Zoetis, containing a killed version of an H5N2 variant designed to work against circulating H5N1 variants. However, the effectiveness of vaccines may be compromised as new variants emerge, potentially requiring frequent updates.

Vilsack, during his tenure as USDA Secretary, took several steps regarding HPAI vaccines, but the situation has evolved over time:

Vaccine approval and funding. In 2016, Zoetis received a conditional license for its H5N1 vaccine and a contract award for the USDA’s National Veterinary Stockpile. This vaccine was approved under Vilsack’s leadership, as he served as USDA Secretary from 2009 to 2017, and then again from 2021 until Jan. 2025.
Vaccine fate. The Zoetis H5N1 vaccine approved in 2016 remained in the National Veterinary Stockpile until 2021 but was never used. This suggests that the vaccine was eventually discarded or removed from the stockpile without being deployed.
In August 2024, Vilsack authorized the first field trial of an H5N1 vaccine for cattle.

Of note: As of February 2025, Zoetis received a conditional license from USDA for its Avian Influenza Vaccine, H5N2 Subtype, Killed Virus, for use in chickens.

USDA has allocated significant funding for HPAI response:

In May 2024, Vilsack approved the transfer of $824 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for HPAI response efforts. This was in addition to a previous approval of $1.3 billion in emergency funds to tackle nationwide HPAI detections.
Former USDA Secretary Vilsack revealed that USDA was accelerating vaccine production for bovines, with seven potential vaccine candidates in development.

While not yet widely available, some alternative methods for vaccinating chickens against bird flu are being explored:

Spray vaccination: Some researchers have evaluated immune responses in chickens vaccinated via coarse spray with adenovirus-vectored avian influenza vaccines. This method shows promise for mass immunization of poultry, potentially eliciting both systemic and mucosal immune responses.
Drinking Water: As of now, there are no available vaccines that can be delivered through drinking water for avian influenza. However, this route of administration is being researched as a potential method for mass vaccination.
Aerosol/Spray: Only one vaccine is currently available for aerosol/spray administration. This method could potentially allow for easier mass vaccination of poultry flocks.

Challenges

The development of vaccines suitable for mass application methods outside hatcheries, such as via drinking water or spray/aerosolization, is still in progress. These methods would greatly simplify the vaccination process for large-scale poultry operations. Researchers are working on various approaches to make vaccination more practical:

Vectored vaccines: Some vaccines use viral vectors, like adenoviruses, to deliver avian influenza antigens. These may be more amenable to alternative administration routes.
Mucosal immunity: Spray and aerosol methods are being explored to target mucosal immune responses, which could provide better protection against respiratory infections like avian influenza.

Of note: While progress is being made, as of now, most approved and effective vaccines for avian influenza in chickens still require injection. The development of feed- or water-based vaccines remains an active area of research in the poultry industry.

Another Issue:

Changing variants of avian influenza significantly impact the egg price situation and overall poultry industry. Here’s how:

Emergence of New Genotypes. A new genotype of avian influenza, D1.1, emerged in wild migratory birds in September 2024 and subsequently spread to domestic poultry. This new variant has had severe consequences:

Increased spread across North America’s four migratory waterfowl flyways.
Spillover into poultry, humans, and even cows.
Caused a severe flu case in British Columbia and a death in Louisiana.
Scientists announced they found D1.1 in infected dairy cattle in Nevada for the first time. A dairy farm worker tested positive for H5N1, the state’s first reported human case.
Some scientists fear the D1.1 variant carries a new mutation that helps the virus copy itself more easily onto the cells of mammals, including humans.
Some scientists suspect a new strain is spreading via dust from bird droppings, carried by the wind.

Impact on Poultry and Egg Production.

The emergence of new variants has led to:

More than 20 million egg-laying chickens in the U.S. died in the last quarter due to the bird flu outbreak. This figure includes both chickens that died from the virus and those that were culled to prevent further spread of the infection. This recent toll represents the most severe impact on America’s egg supply since the outbreak began in 2022.
Reduction in the conventional egg-laying flock by 3.7% in January 2025 alone.
Significant drop in egg production, falling to 9.1 billion dozen in 2022 from 9.4 billion dozen in 2019.
The losses have affected all major production systems, including conventional caged, cage-free, and certified organic types (with some major differences as noted below).
Egg prices have soared to their highest levels in years, largely driven by the virus (details below).
The U.S. egg industry now has 8% fewer egg-laying hens than it did three years ago.
The federal government has allocated substantial funds to compensate farmers, with USDA spending $1.25 billion on payments to farmers since the outbreak started in 2022.
New bird flu outbreaks have also struck major egg-laying operations in Indiana and Georgia, leading to heists of the precious commodity and the sight of empty supermarket shelves where cartons of eggs should be.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently ordered all live-bird markets in New York City and some surrounding areas to shut down for a week to stem the spread of the virus. Three ducks at the Queens Zoo died of bird flu and as many as 12 birds at the Bronx Zoo that died after possible exposure are being tested for the virus.

The bird flu outbreak has significantly impacted the availability of organic and cage-free eggs, though in some unexpected ways:

Impact on Organic Egg Production

Less affected: Organic egg production has been less impacted by the bird flu outbreak compared to conventional egg production.
Smaller flocks: Organic egg-laying hens typically live in smaller flocks with more spacious conditions, which may contribute to their lower infection rates.
Price stability: Organic egg prices have been relatively more stable due to different pricing practices, with producers often setting long-term strategic prices with retailers.

Cage-Free Egg Availability

Disproportionate impact: Despite representing only about a third of U.S. egg layers, cage-free hens contributed to nearly 60% of all bird flu cases in 2024.
Supply challenges: The disproportionate impact on cage-free flocks has led to significant supply issues, especially in states with cage-free egg laws.
Recovery difficulties: Rebuilding cage-free flocks can be more challenging due to fewer sources and stricter regulations in some states.

Market Dynamics

Pricing anomalies: In some areas, like New York City, organic and cage-free eggs have been priced lower than conventional eggs due to existing contracts.
Potential price increases: As contracts expire, prices for organic and cage-free eggs may increase significantly.
State regulations: Nine states, including California and Colorado, have laws requiring eggs to be from cage-free hens, further complicating supply issues.

Other Issues:

Cage-free transition: About 40% of U.S. commercial egg layers are now in cage-free systems, up from just 30 million in 2015.
Supply/demand imbalance: The growth in cage-free egg demand has outpaced supply, exacerbated by bird flu outbreaks.
Bottom line: While organic eggs have been somewhat less affected by the bird flu outbreak, cage-free egg production has faced significant challenges. This has led to complex market dynamics, including unexpected pricing patterns and potential future shortages, particularly in states with cage-free egg laws.

Economic and Trade Implications.

Changing variants can affect international trade and economic stability:

The presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) restricts international trade in live birds and poultry meat.
New variants may lead to more stringent trade restrictions, further impacting national economies.

Human Health Concerns

As the virus evolves, there are increasing concerns about human health:

The D1.1 genotype has infected humans, with 68 confirmed cases and one fatality in the United States.
Experts worry that as the virus replicates, the chance of a mutation allowing human-to-human transmission increases.

Egg Prices

Egg prices in the United States have reached unprecedented levels, with the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs hitting a record high of $4.95 in January 2025, but prices in individual states and stores can be much higher or lower. This represents a significant increase from previous years, with prices nearly doubling since 2024. The surge in egg prices has been particularly dramatic, with a 15% increase from December 2024 to January 2025 alone.

Several factors have contributed to the soaring egg prices:

Avian influenza outbreak: The primary driver of the price increase is an ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that began in 2022. This outbreak has led to the culling of millions of chickens, significantly reducing the egg-laying population.
Supply chain disruptions: The bird flu epidemic has caused severe disruptions in the egg supply chain, with the population of conventionally caged chickens reduced by 8%.
Supply/demand imbalance: Consumer demand for eggs has remained steady despite the price increases, contributing to the supply-demand imbalance.
Shift in consumer preferences: There has been a growing preference for specialty eggs, such as cage-free and organic varieties, which are typically more expensive.
State Regulations: Some states, like California, have implemented stricter regulations requiring eggs to be sold from cage-free hens, further impacting prices.

Impact on consumers and businesses. The egg price surge has had widespread effects:

Grocery store limitations: Some grocery chains, including Trader Joe’s and Kroger, have placed limits on the number of eggs customers can purchase.
Restaurant surcharges: Restaurants like Waffle House have implemented per-egg surcharges to offset the increased costs.
Regional price variations: Prices vary significantly by region, with some areas seeing even higher costs. For example, in California, a carton of two dozen eggs can cost $13.49.

Egg Price Outlook

USDA predicts that egg prices could rise by up to 20% in 2025. The duration of high prices remains uncertain, as it depends on controlling the spread of avian flu and replenishing the egg-laying chicken population.

Experts suggest it may take at least another three to six months before prices begin to moderate. But some analysts say if a way can be found to deal with HPAI, egg prices would tumble. As consumers grapple with these high prices, some are adapting by reducing egg consumption or seeking alternatives. The situation continues to evolve, with both political and economic implications as the country faces this ongoing challenge in the food supply chain.

Does the U.S. import and export eggs? Yes.

Total egg exports from the U.S. in 2024 amounted to 172.8 million dozen eggs. This figure includes both table eggs and egg products (converted to shell egg equivalent). Breaking this down further:

Table egg exports: 84.3 million dozen
Egg product exports: 24,834 metric tons
The total value of egg exports in 2024 was $314.2 million, an increase of 5.9% compared to 2023.
In 2023, the U.S. exported $144.9 million worth of eggs, making it the 6th largest exporter globally. The U.S. maintains a positive trade balance in eggs, with exports exceeding imports by $139.6 million in 2023.

Imports

In 2023, the U.S. imported $110.15 million worth of eggs, primarily from Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

The U.S. generally is a net exporter of eggs, with exports significantly outweighing imports.

The top egg-exporting countries globally in 2023 were:

Netherlands: $610.1 million (20.5% of global egg exports)
Poland: $463.4 million (15.6%)
Turkey: $224.5 million (7.5%)
Mainland China: $222.8 million (7.5%)
Germany: $181.5 million (6.1%)

The import of eggs into the U.S. is subject to strict regulations, including requirements for USDA import permits, veterinary health certificates, port inspections, and import quarantines. These measures ensure the safety and quality of imported eggs entering the U.S. market.

The U.S. gov’t has several potential options to address the rising egg prices:

Regulatory Actions

Investigate price gouging: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could investigate potential antitrust violations or price gouging in the egg industry. Some lawmakers have urged the FTC to probe egg producers for potentially coordinating efforts to restrict supply and sustain inflated prices.
Ease FDA regulations: The National Chicken Council (NCC) has petitioned the FDA to modify policies that force the broiler industry to destroy safe, nutritious eggs. Relaxing these regulations could increase egg supply and potentially lower prices. The issue stems from a 2009 FDA rule known as the Shell Egg Rule, which requires all shell eggs to be refrigerated at or below 45°F within 36 hours of being laid. This rule, intended for table eggs, inadvertently affects surplus broiler hatching eggs. Broiler eggs intended for hatching must be stored at 65°F for up to five days before determining which eggs are needed for hatching. This process is incompatible with the FDA’s refrigeration requirements, forcing the broiler industry to discard surplus eggs instead of sending them to egg breakers for processing into liquid egg products.

The NCC has requested FDA to: Exercise enforcement discretion to allow surplus broiler eggs to be processed into egg products under USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) jurisdiction; Exempt surplus broiler hatching eggs intended for breaking from the refrigeration requirements in the Shell Egg Rule. NCC argues that the current policy results in significant waste, costing the broiler industry over $27 million annually. Allowing these eggs to be used would help alleviate egg shortages and high prices, especially during events like the recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. The eggs would be safe for consumption as they would be pasteurized during processing, which is effective in controlling Salmonella.

As of February 2025, FDA has not yet granted the NCC’s request. The FDA denied a similar request on June 12, 2023, stating that the proposed action would not maintain the same level of public health protection as the current egg safety rule.

Policy Interventions

Address avian flu outbreak: The government could allocate more resources to combat the ongoing bird flu crisis, which has significantly impacted poultry populations and egg production since 2022.
Implement price controls: While controversial and unlikely under the Trump administration, the government could consider temporary price controls on eggs to limit further increases.
Increase imports: Easing restrictions on egg imports could help supplement domestic supply and potentially lower prices.

Economic Measures

Provide subsidies: The government could offer subsidies (incentives) to egg producers to offset increased production costs and encourage greater supply.
Offer consumer relief: Implementing targeted financial assistance or tax credits for low-income families could help offset the impact of high egg prices.

USDA has several potential measures to stabilize egg prices:

Enhance biosecurity: Promote and enforce stricter biosecurity measures across poultry farms to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
Increase surveillance: Improve monitoring and early detection of HPAI outbreaks to minimize their impact on egg production.
Investigate price gouging: Collaborate with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice to scrutinize potential anti-competitive practices in the egg industry.
Enhance price discovery: Implement new regulations to improve fairness and transparency in pricing mechanisms for poultry farmers.
Promote competition: Support smaller egg producers and encourage market diversification to reduce reliance on large conglomerates.
Expedite flock replacement: Facilitate faster repopulation of laying hen flocks after HPAI outbreaks.
Address labor shortages: Develop programs to alleviate workforce issues in the egg industry that hamper production.
Ease import restrictions: Consider temporary measures to increase egg imports and supplement domestic supply.
Implement purchase limits: Encourage retailers to set temporary limits on egg purchases to prevent panic buying and ensure fair distribution.
Monitor retail practices: Scrutinize grocery stores’ pricing strategies and promotional activities to prevent unjustified price hikes.
Invest in research: Fund studies on HPAI-resistant poultry breeds and alternative production methods to increase resilience in the egg industry.
Improve forecasting: Enhance data collection and analysis to better predict and prepare for future supply chain disruptions.

Challenges and Limitations

Government intervention in markets can have unintended consequences. Additionally, some factors contributing to high egg prices, such as inflation and increased production costs, may be beyond the government’s immediate control.

President Donald Trump, who campaigned on promises to lower food prices, is facing pressure from lawmakers to act. However, no specific plan has been announced to address the egg price crisis, but NEC Director Kevin Hassett has signaled that a plan is coming, which was released on Sunday.

Second Bird Flu Strain Found in U.S. Dairy Cattle, USDA says

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:36:48 GMT

U.S. dairy cattle tested positive for a strain of bird flu that previously had not been seen in cows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday, ramping up concerns about the persistent spread of the virus.

The H5N1 virus has reduced milk output in cattle, pushed up egg prices by wiping out millions of hens, and infected nearly 70 people since April as it has spread across the country.

Genome sequencing of milk from Nevada identified the different strain, known as the D1.1 genotype, in dairy cows for the first time, the USDA said. Previously, all 957 bird flu infections among dairy herds reported since last March had been caused by another strain, the B3.13 genotype, according to the agency.

Reuters reported news of the detection of the second strain on Wednesday ahead of USDA’s announcement.

The second strain was the predominant genotype among wild birds this past fall and winter and has also been found in poultry, the USDA said. It was identified in dairy cattle through an agency program that began testing milk for bird flu in December.

“We’re seeing the H5N1 virus itself be smarter than all of us,” said Beth Thompson, South Dakota’s state veterinarian.

“It’s modifying itself so it’s not just staying in the poultry and the wild waterfowl. It’s picking up a home in the mammals.”

Wild birds likely transmitted the second strain to cattle in Nevada, said J.J. Goicoechea, Nevada’s agriculture director. Farmers need to ramp up safety and security measures to protect their animals, he said.

“We obviously aren’t doing everything we can and everything we should or the virus wouldn’t be getting in,” he said.

“We didn’t get a hold on it before,” Hansen said. “We want to avoid that same scenario from happening in Nevada.”

Dairy herds that were formerly infected may be at risk again from the second strain, experts said.

“Now it looks like we have new strains of virus that may escape some of the immunity associated with the other strains of viruses that could exacerbate the epidemics among animals and wildlife,” said Gregory Gray, a University of Texas Medical Branch professor studying cattle diseases. “It’s alarming.”

Your Next Read: Beef-on-Dairy: A Critical Solution to the Shrinking U.S. Cattle Herd

"Tempo Has Increased" As HPAI Spreads in The U.S.

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 21:01:14 GMT

This article was written by Ryan Hanrahan, University of Illinois’ FarmDoc project.

The New York Times’ Apoorva Mandavilli reported Monday that “when bird flu first struck dairy cattle a year ago, it seemed possible that it might affect a few isolated herds and disappear as quickly as it had appeared. Instead, the virus has infected more than 900 herds and dozens of people, killing one, and the outbreak shows no signs of abating.”

“A human pandemic is not inevitable, even now,” more than a dozen experts said in interviews. But a series of developments over the past few weeks indicates that the possibility is no longer remote,” Mandavilli reported.

“Toothless guidelines, inadequate testing and long delays in releasing data -- echoes of the missteps during the Covid-19 pandemic -- have squandered opportunities for containing the outbreak, the experts said.”

Poultry and Mammalian Species Are Struck

“Since January 2022, when the virus was detected in wild aquatic birds in the United States, it has affected more than 136 million commercial, backyard and wild birds, helping to send egg prices soaring,” Mandavilli reported.

“It has also struck dozens of mammalian species, including cats both wild and domesticated, raccoons, bears and sea lions. For at least a year, H5N1 has been infecting dairy cattle, which were not known to be susceptible to this type of influenza. In some cows, it has had lasting effects, reducing milk production and increasing the odds of spontaneous abortions.”

“And in 2024, the virus infected 67 Americans, compared with just one in the years before, in 2022. The sources of these infections are not all known; one person may have transmitted the virus to someone in their household,” Mandavilli reported.

“Infections in dairy herds, which first emerged in Texas, appeared to be declining last summer. But in late August, California announced its first case. The state’s figures soon rose sharply, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a public health emergency in December.”

“‘That was sort of a flag to me, like, ‘OK, this hasn’t gone away,’” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health,” according to Mandavilli’s reporting. “‘Over the last couple of months, it has felt like the tempo has increased,’ she said.”

Bird Flu Outbreaks Increasing Egg Prices

USA Today’s Jonathan Limehouse and Mary Walrath-Holdridge reported Monday that “according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) price outlook, egg prices are predicted to increase about 20% in 2025, compared to about 2.2% for overall food prices.

The USDA attributed the rise in egg costs to the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreak,which has caused a strain in supply.

“The price hike is not sudden, as eggs cost 36.8% more in December 2024 than in December 2023, but were still below peak prices from January 2023, according to the USDA. The outlook says retail egg prices climbed 8.4% in December 2024 and continued to experience volatile month-to-month changes,” Limehouse and Walrath-Holdridge reported.

“With egg prices expected to rise, consumers could see a significant jump from December.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of a dozen large, grade-A eggs was $4.15 in December, which was up from $3.65 in November,” Limehouse and Walrath-Holdridge reported.

”...It’s unclear when the cost of eggs may return to a downward trend but it could be after 2025. One of the main determiners of the egg prices will be farmers and producers, and how long it takes them to recover their stocks of healthy laying hens.”

Outbreak Reported In No. 1 Chicken Producing State Georgia

Reuters’ Tom Polansek reported last week that “an outbreak of bird flu in poultry in the U.S. state of Georgia, the nation’s biggest chicken producer, is set to trigger trade restrictions from major meat importers, an industry group said on Tuesday, warning of a move that could financially harm farmers and processors.”

“A flock of 45,500 breeder chickens tested positive last week in Elbert County, Georgia, near the border with South Carolina, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was the state’s first confirmed case in a commercial poultry operation, Georgia’s agriculture department said,” Polansek reported.

”...An outbreak in a commercial flock typically triggers trade restrictions on poultry products from the county or state where the infected farm is located. The restrictions expected on Georgia’s poultry threaten producers and processors, such as Pilgrim’s Pride.”

“Initial losses for exports could be about $34 million, the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said. Mexico, the biggest importer of U.S. poultry products, will likely halt purchases from Georgia for about two to four weeks, until it revises the ban to apply to the county, the industry group said,” Polansek reported.

“Taiwan, the third-biggest importer of U.S. poultry, will block poultry imports from Georgia for six to eight months, the export council estimated. South Korea will likely impose a ban on Georgia’s poultry that should be lifted 28 days after the virus has been eliminated, a process that will likely take three to four months,” the council said.

More Rare H5N9 Strain Reported in California

Reuters reported Monday that “the United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu in poultry on a duck farm in California, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday.”

“U.S. authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced County, California, they said in a report to Paris-based WOAH, adding that the almost 119,000 birds on the farm had been killed by Dec. 2,” Reuters reported. "...The strain that has caused most damage in recent years has been H5N1. H5N9 is rarer.”

Your next read: Iowa Secretary of Ag Weighs In on The H5N1 Battle, Vaccine Potential And Trade Sensitivities

Iowa Secretary of Ag Weighs In on The H5N1 Battle, Vaccine Potential And Trade Sensitivities

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 13:48:13 GMT

Eggs continue to be a hot topic in the news as supplies are down, prices are up – and expected to go even higher – and consumers are understandably concerned.

At the center of the issue, fanning the on-going problem for poultry and dairy producers as well, is the Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1).

AgriTalk Host Chip Flory broached the topic with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Tuesday.

At the heart of their conversation was a two-part question – how does the U.S. address the virus and, in the process, prevent any potential negative ramifications on trade?

Naig says the federal government is taking what he described as a three-legged stool approach to addressing the problem in both industries.

He described the three legs of the stool as being USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), individual state animal health officials and industry.

“We work very closely with APHIS on this, meaning that they’re the ones that are providing the indemnity payments to producers. They are providing the disposal and cleanup assistance, but they must work in close collaboration with the states and state animal health officials,” Naig says. “And then, of course, you’ve got to have the third leg, which is industry.”

Biosecurity Measures
Naig noted that while the virus hit the poultry industry hard in 2015, it struck even harder in 2024.

“It’s not just in the Midwest or West, it’s been really all across the country now, affecting the egg laying industry, broilers and turkey production,” Naig says.

A significant positive, Naig says, is that biosecurity measures in the poultry industry appear to be preventing farm-to-farm spread. “The industry continues to get high marks for that, which wasn’t the case in 2015, which was so devastating because we didn’t have those strategies in place.”

“I believe, and our experience has been, that our USDA partners in this regard have been very strong,” he adds.

As Naig addressed the three-legged stool approach the U.S. is taking to addressing the virus in dairy, he says the three partners have more work to do.

“Frankly, there’s been a lot of criticism to share around the three legs, if you will, on how states have reacted, or how strongly USDA should have reacted, and what the industry is doing to try to contain that virus. So, I would say on the dairy side of things, it’s a different story (than in poultry). There’s a lot more work that’s yet to be done to even understand how that virus is impacting those (dairy) herds.”

What Is The Role For Vaccines?
Flory asked Sec. Nagy whether he believes a vaccine could be part of the solution to the virus or whether that would set up too many trade barriers. Flory also asked whether the virus is stable enough for a long enough period of time for a vaccine to be developed that would work effectively.

Both are questions the U.S. is grappling with as it tries to get ahead of the virus in dairy and poultry.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported the U.S. will rebuild a stockpile of avian influenza vaccines for poultry that match the strain of the virus circulating in commercial flocks and wild birds, citing the Department of Agriculture.

Naig told Flory that he believes a vaccine could be developed, with regard to poultry specifically, and its use negotiated into trade agreements.

“Those are challenges, and yet those are things that can be worked on and can be done, but it’s not easily done. I would want to put a flag there,” Naig says.

“I’m supportive of developing … we should try to figure out whether this can be an effective tool. If you’re in the broiler business or if you’re in the turkey meat business or if you’re in the egg business or maybe you’re in the genetics business, those are very different in terms of how you view that vaccine.”

Naig explains part of the different viewpoints on vaccine use have to do with the difference between poultry business segments.

“We need to recognize that those sectors are different in how they’ll view and potentially use a vaccine,” Naig says.

“Don’t treat them all the same. It’ll make way more sense for some than others.”

Naig did not weigh in on vaccine development for the dairy industry specifically.

The full conversation between Naig and Flory on AgriTalk is available below.

Your next read: Think Egg Prices Are Already Too High? USDA Says Retail Egg Prices Could Jump Another 20% in 2025

APHIS Answers Call to Protect Animal Agriculture

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 21:00:13 GMT

Despite facing many challenges, including the continued response to highly pathogenic avian influenza, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) worked to protect the health and value of America’s agricultural and natural resources.

“2024 was a year that confronted APHIS with new challenges. It was a year that forced us to find new and creative solutions to animal and plant health threats,” says Michael Watson, administrator for APHIS, in the 2024 Impact Report.

Here are a few highlights from the 2024 Impact Report surrounding animal agriculture:

Confirmed the first detection of HPAI H5N1 in a dairy herd in March 2024, and subsequently identified, investigated, and responded to H5N1 detections in livestock in over 860 herds across 17 states. APHIS issued two federal orders, implemented a producer support program, set up a voluntary monitoring and surveillance program for interested producers, and developed a national bulk milk testing strategy to help states protect the health of their dairy herds.
- Opened new market access for American agricultural exports, including U.S. rice to Ecuador, Texas grapefruit to South Korea, and California peaches and nectarines to Vietnam. APHIS also opened markets for U.S. live cattle, day-old chicks, and hatching eggs to Mozambique and beef and bone meal to Ecuador and Peru.
- Worked with regional partners in Central America to implement a multilateral response to the New World screwworm outbreak, increasing production of sterile flies weekly from 20 million to 90 million. These efforts, combined with rigorous surveillance and livestock inspections, protected U.S. borders from this devastating pest.
- Provided assistance to livestock producers on more than 123,000 occasions, including outreach and direct control activities to protect livestock from predation through a combination of techniques and tools. As much as possible, we responded using nonlethal methods like range riding, fladry, fencing, and husbandry practices.
Continued an emergency program to address nationwide detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Since the outbreak began in February 2022, we have confirmed the virus in over 1,300 poultry premises across the nation and supported affected producers through depopulation, disposal, and indemnification programs.
Protected American agriculture from harmful plant pests and foreign animal diseases by intercepting 289,855 prohibited agricultural items and 3,008 quarantine-significant pests during baggage inspections. These inspections involved more than 16.7 million passengers bound for the U.S. mainland from Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Read the full report here.

Unapproved Use of Aspirin in Dairy Cattle Prompts Reminder for Pork Industry

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:00:53 GMT

The increased use of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to treat pyrexia and pain in dairy cattle infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 prompted FDA to issue a warning to producers and veterinarians in October. Previously, FDA had stated that aspirin use was of low regulatory concern. However, due to its increased use because of H5N1, FDA has shifted its stance.

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration understands that veterinarians and dairy farmers may be treating lactating dairy cattle for pyrexia and pain with aspirin and wants to clarify that there are no FDA-approved aspirin products for use in cattle,” FDA said in a letter to veterinarians . “There are FDA-approved products for controlling pyrexia and pain in lactating dairy cattle that are safe, effective, and have established milk and meat withdrawal periods.”

How Does This Affect the U.S. Swine Industry?
The same regulations that guide the use of aspirin in dairy cattle also guide its use in swine, reminded Locke Karriker, DVM, professor at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) president-elect, in a recent Swine Health Information Center/AASV webinar.

“Currently, those regulations mean that there is no legal pathway to use aspirin in swine and it should be avoided,” Karriker says.

Under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA), veterinarians may use only FDA-approved human or animal drug in food-producing species under specific conditions in an extra-label manner. The extra-label use of unapproved drugs in food-producing species is prohibited.

All FDA-approved animal products are required to carry one of the following statements on the label:

“Approved by FDA under NADA # XXX-XXX” (for brand name animal drugs), or
“Approved by FDA under ANADA # XXX-XXX” (for generic animal drugs).

With no legal pathway to use true aspirin in swine, experts are looking into other potential treatments and other nonsteroidals and how they may be evaluated.

“The industry, veterinarians and university-based clinical scientists are working to develop alternatives to aspirin use while exploring the development of products that contain aspirin and conform to regulatory requirements,” Karriker says. “This includes cooperation among the professional veterinary organizations for bovine, poultry and swine medicine as well as dialog with the FDA directly.”

Dusty Oedekoven, DVM, chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board, says this situation is a good example why involvement of a licensed, accredited veterinarian is important in providing timely care for animals while ensuring regulatory compliance and food safety.

“My recommendation to producers is to consult with your herd veterinarian regarding the use of any animal health products, including aspirin products (acetylsalicylic acid),” Oedekoven says.

Karriker adds that depending on the case context and clinical signs, there may be several options that do have a legal status.

Learn more here from this list of resources compiled by AASV:

Extra-label Drug Use (AMDUCA)

FDA AMDUCA website — Resource information from the FDA regarding AMDUCA.

AMDUCA and Extra-label Drug Use in Swine — A brochure providing an algorithm for the use of drugs in an extra-label manner and describing additional restrictions for the extra-label use of cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones.

AVMA: Extralabel Drug Use (ELDU) Algorithm — An online algorithm.

AMDUCA Revisited — JSHAP article describing AMDUCA in swine medicine.

Your Next Read: I’m Going Into 2025 With Increased Concerns About HPAI H5N1

California Issues New Ban on Dairy Cattle and Poultry Shows in Response to H5N1 Bird Flu

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 16:42:37 GMT

California State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones has issued a statewide ban on exhibiting dairy cattle and poultry at fairs and shows due to the ongoing spread of H5N1 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) among dairy herds and domestic poultry. This decision, which comes in the wake of Governor Gavin Newsom’s state of emergency declaration last month, is aimed at curbing the devastating effects of the outbreak on California’s livestock and poultry industries.

“Due to the continued spread of H5N1 Bird Flu in California, the State Veterinarian has implemented a ban on all California Poultry and Dairy Cattle Exhibitions at fairs and shows immediately until further notice,” the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced in a press release. “This action is required to minimize the danger of exposing people and non-infected cows and birds to the disease.”

The outbreak, which began in the state in August 2024, has affected over 700 dairy herds and 60 poultry flocks, impacting more than 15 million birds across California. Within the last 30 days, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reports that 149 new confirmed cases had been detected within the state. With new infections still being detected, the ban is a step to prevent further spread of the virus.

Currently the CDFA is urging dairy and poultry owners to take immediate action by implementing strict biosecurity measures. These include preventing the mingling of livestock with wild birds or other infected animals, avoiding the movement or sharing of potentially contaminated equipment, and ensuring rigorous sanitation practices.

“Enhanced biosecurity is essential to protecting livestock and poultry from this devastating disease,” the CDFA stated. “Producers must prevent contact with wild bird populations and avoid any practices that might facilitate the transfer of the virus.”

Clinical signs of H5N1 Bird Flu in cattle include reduced feed consumption, a marked drop in milk production—sometimes resulting in thick, colostrum-like milk or no milk production at all—respiratory distress, nasal discharge, lethargy, dehydration, fever, and abnormal feces.

The ban on exhibitions is expected to remain in effect until the outbreak is under control, with officials monitoring the situation closely.

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Government Designates $103 Million to Monitor Avian Influenza in Farmworkers

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:32:07 GMT

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Jan. 3 that it will award $306 million to continue its H5N1 Avian Flu response. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s assessment of the risk of avian influenza to the general public remains low, USDA and HHS plan to collaborate with federal, state, local, industry and other stakeholders to protect human health, animal health and food safety, a release said.

“While the risk to humans remains low, we are always preparing for any possible scenario that could arise. These investments are critical to continuing our disease surveillance, laboratory testing, and monitoring efforts alongside our partners at USDA,” Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a release. “Preparedness is the key to keeping Americans healthy and our country safe. We will continue to ensure our response is strong, well equipped, and ready for whatever is needed.”

Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response said it will award approximately $183 million in additional funding for regional, state and local preparedness programs:

$90 million to the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP)
$10 million to the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC)
$26 million to the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs)
$43 million to the Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (SPTCs) Avian Influenza Preparedness and Response Activities
$14 million to replenish equipment and supply caches for the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)

CDC will award approximately $111 million in funding for additional enhancements to our ability to monitor H5N1 at the local, state and national levels:

$103 million to jurisdictions for increased monitoring of individuals exposed to infected animals, testing, and outreach to high-risk populations (such as livestock workers)
$8 million to manufacture, store, and distribute additional influenza diagnostic test kits for virologic surveillance

National Institutes of Health will award approximately $11 million in funding for additional research into potential medical countermeasures for H5N1:

$11 million to the Centers for Excellence for Influenza Research and Response contracts

Your Next Read: I’m Going Into 2025 With Increased Concerns About HPAI H5N1

Some California Veterinarians Say Virus-Hit Dairies See More Abortions in First-Calf Heifers and Dry Cows

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:02:36 GMT

Triple-digit temperatures lasting for days and then weeks helped fuel a firestorm of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (HPAI A H5N1) cases on California dairy farms last summer.

“August wasn’t too bad, September was kind of rough, and then early October was severe,” recalls Dr. Maxwell Beal. “I think part of the problem was the cows had little relief from the heat even at night.”

But even with the onset of winter, Beal, with Mill Creek Veterinary Services, Visalia, Calif., adds that, “Cooler temperatures haven’t slowed the spread.”

Indeed, cases of the virus continue to trend upward in California. The state, the single largest producer of milk in the U.S., with 1,300 commercial herds and 1.7 million milk cows, holds the dubious distinction of being the current epicenter for HPAI H5N1.

As of Dec. 19, 2024, the California Department of Food and Agriculture had confirmed 650 dairy cowherds – roughly half of the commercial herds in the state – had been infected with the virus (see AHFSS - AHB - H5N1 Bird Flu Virus in Livestock - CDFA).

Bovine Veterinarian talked with several veterinarians in the Golden State and elsewhere about what their herds, producers and farmworkers have experienced and how they are addressing the virus. This is a summary of what practitioners shared.

Younger Dairy Animals Are Being Affected, As Well As Lactating Cows.

Among production animals on the dairy farm, lactating cows have taken the brunt of the virus infections so far, but that doesn’t mean other segments in cowherds aren’t or can’t be affected.

“I’m hearing reports from California veterinarians of sick young calves and challenges with cows resuming production and reports of dry cows aborting,” says Dr. Barb Petersen, owner and operator of Sunrise Veterinary Service, Amarillo, Texas. Petersen helped confirm the first case of HPAI H5N1 identified in U.S. dairy cattle last spring.

One of those reports came to her from Beal in California.

“I tell people, ‘Don’t sleep on your heifers, calves or your bulls, because there could be issues that we don’t know about yet simply because that’s not been our focus,’” says Beal, who reports that his virus-hit dairies have all experienced an uptick of abortions in first-calf heifers.

“One thing that happens at every affected dairy is we lose more calves, that were already called pregnant, and they’ll be all over the map as far as gestational age,” he says.

“It happens to dry cows, it happens to big calves, and these heifer abortions were all at 180- to 220-days (DCC), somewhere in there,” he adds. “Whether that’s directly caused by the bird flu or it’s caused by the clinical symptoms of the flu, I don’t know. And it’s the same for other veterinarians in our practice to the point that we will go back and reconfirm pregnant animals that we had already reconfirmed.”

Dr. Blaine Melody has had similar experiences: “We’ve consistently seen more early embryonic death and fetal loss at various days of gestation. We have recommended clients switch from long-acting dry cow tubes to lactating if we’re given the heads up before clinical outbreak, via early non-negative bulk tanks,” says Melody, a partner at Lander Veterinary Clinic, Turlock, Calif.

The Virus Amplifies Existing Health And Management Issues.

While HPAI H5N1 is associated with high morbidity and mortality in birds, this hasn’t been the case for dairy cattle in most regions of the country. Most affected animals reportedly recover with supportive treatment, and the mortality/culling rate has been low at 2% or less, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

That percentage fits with Beal’s experience in California, but dairy producers in some parts of the state have reported higher mortality levels. Some have experienced cow mortality rates as high as 15% or 20%, according to a Reuters article published in October. See Cows dead from bird flu rot in California

“Cows that get H5N1 are compromised, so any other health issues that are present in the dairy increase,” Beal explains. “Staph aureus, mastitis, mycoplasma, all of them go up.”

“The virus takes the problems that are already on your dairy that you’ve either figured out how to cope with or they’re just sitting at a low level, and it exacerbates them for probably a month,” he adds.

Melody says management quality plays a huge role in what producers and their employees must deal with when the virus hits.

“If you have overcrowded pens, bad cow comfort, poor nutrition management, poor transition cow management or any other underlying risk factors, you will have a worse outcome with a clinical HPAI outbreak. That’s a given,” he says.

In mid-December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency to address the virus in California dairy cattle, ramping up monitoring, quarantine efforts, and resource deployment. See California Issues State of Emergency Warning in Response to More Bird Flu Found on Dairies

The number of farmworkers infected with the virus is likely higher than what’s being reported.

Officially, there have been 66 confirmations of human being infected by the virus in the U.S. See H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation

Melody, Beal and other veterinarians told Bovine Veterinarian they have seen presumed infected employees on farms working with cows.

“Some of these workers are at potential risk, because we don’t know all the ways this virus is spreading yet,” Melody says.

“They just put their heads down and work, so they can keep their paycheck,” Beal adds.

Drenching Cows Can Help, But Rest Can Do As Much Good In Some Scenarios.

Both Beal and Melody say drenching can help clinical HPAI cows, but veterinarians and their producers need a good plan for the treatment to work well.

Beal says there is a significant learning curve for people who have never or seldom drenched a cow. Employees on some of the infected dairies he works with went from never using the practice to suddenly treating hundreds and even thousands of cows a day.

In that intense scenario, Beal says it’s nearly impossible for employees to succeed.

“When you run a drench hose through 1,000 cows, you will not do as good a job with that last cow as you did with the first one,” he explains.

There is real potential to cause more harm than good to the animal physically, Melody adds.

“Drenching can help, but if you’re locking cows up too long or drowning cows because you’re drenching lots of cows and you’re exhausted, that undoes any good you’re trying to accomplish,” he says.

Beal says after working with a couple of outbreaks, he decided to try a different approach.

“We started to use a let-the-cows-rest approach, and I felt like we were still doing just as much good for the animals and not exhausting our staff in the process,” he says.

However, he continued to encourage workers to drench the ones that were clinically dehydrated or exhibiting signs of duress.

“I would say the ones that showed clinical signs to the degree that they warranted treatment has averaged around 30% in a herd,” Beal says. “The ones that are obviously clinically affected we need to treat, but not necessarily the ‘she’s got a runny nose,’ cows.”

What Is Your Definition Of Disease?

Melody says one of the challenges is how veterinarians and producers define disease as well as their definition of severity. With regard to HPAI H5N1, he has observed inconsistent practices and varied approaches to reporting, because people don’t have a consistent benchmark for reference.

“When you get HPAI on dairies, every cow that gets sick is then called a flu cow, but you can’t conflate that it’s all influenza,” he says.

Melody also encourages practitioners to keep a tight rein on their treatment protocols and to maintain consistent practices with regard to regulations.

“If you make things gray, when it comes to regulatory standards, we can quickly start to spiral, because you start going, ‘Well, we made this exception for this, so why not here too?’” Melody says. “Stay with your established playbook, and don’t deviate from it.”

Melody and Beal both say they have been frustrated at times by slow turnarounds by state laboratories responsible for providing test results. Their advice: Be a squeaky wheel with regard to getting virus test results.

“Many testing labs are overrun with samples, and the process gets bogged down, or the results don’t get to the veterinarian because of confidentiality rules,” Melody says.

“Some people are shipping animals that are infected but don’t know it because they didn’t get the information back in a timely fashion from the bulk tank tests,” Beal adds. “There needs to be a reworking of the testing protocols.”

Nutrition And Cow Comfort Practices Can Help Affected Animals Return To Good Production Levels.

Melody and Beal say most of their clients’ cows return to a good level of production post infection.

“Now, do they all come back 100%? No, I haven’t seen that on any of my dairies,” Beal says. “If people compare production now to last December, there’s likely a deficit. Some of the cows are ending up 5 lb. to 6 lb. under where they were this same time last year. That’s not unusual.”

Beal adds that veterinarians who can talk with their clients about what ramifications to expect from the disease, before it ever reaches their herd, can probably save a significant number of cows from being culled in the future.

What can improve that scenario for virus-impacted cows in the future is investing dollars in nutrition and facilities as farm resources permit, Melody adds.

“Renovate your dry cow barn, put some shade over those animals, put a little extra metabolizable protein into the fresh cows right now to make sure they’re getting off to a good start,” Melody advises. “Do good management, the things that you know are going to make your cows strong. Those things will pay for themselves whether you’re in the midst of a virus outbreak or wanting to help cows in the long-term.”

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‘No Established Gold Standard’

Dr. Blaine Melody, a partner at Lander Veterinary Clinic in Turlock, Calif., says somatic cell counts (SCC) are not a gold standard for defining parameters of the HPAI A H5N1 virus. He says SCCs can be wildly different for each farm because of management differences — whether dumping not dumping milk, sturdy versus frail cows, good or bad preexisting milk quality practices.

“My goal is trying to get as close to an apples-to-apples comparison between farms, and you can only decipher that by knowing the farms and asking more questions when people start throwing numbers around,” he says.

Melody offers one real-life example from his experience:

“Two dairies get HPAI at the same time,” Melody says. “One farm gets hammered with a 15% cow clinical mastitis case rate for the duration of the epidemic. The other farm may say it never had any HPAI clinical mastitis cows and only treated a handful of febrile cows with no milk, respiratory or GI disease. You look at their records and can confirm that to be ‘true.’ You ask more questions and also learn that the primary method of identifying mastitis is different between those two farms: the first farm strips and visually screens each quarter for abnormal milk, while the second does not and relies solely on milk conductivity sensors.”

“The vast majority of these clinical cows in our area are mild cases of mastitis with no effect on the udder or cow,” he adds. “This thick, clinical HPAI milk did not get flagged with conductivity sensors. Even within the same brand there can be modified settings farm to farm. The truth in this example ‘lied’ in the salable milk quality when their SCC more than doubled.

“The importance is understanding the farm management differences and knowing what further questions to ask rather than jumping at naked numbers that are often without clear denominators,” Melody says.
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200-Plus Mammal Species Infected

While researchers have learned a lot about HPAI A H5N1 since its confirmation in a Texas dairy herd in March 2024, much is still unknown, including the various ways the disease might spread and which animals it infects.

According to USDA’s APHIS, in addition to dairy cows, more than 200 other mammal species in the U.S. have been infected by the virus since 2022. One of the hardest hit animal populations on farms are barn cats, which often consume colostrum and raw milk, not to mention potentially infected birds and vermin.

Other U.S. mammals infected with the virus include a bottlenose dolphin, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, skunks, harbor and grey seals, opossums, squirrels, minks, otters, black bears, brown bears, polar bears, and a single pig on a backyard farm in Oregon, confirmed in late October.

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California Issues State of Emergency Warning in Response to More Bird Flu Found on Dairies

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 22:45:29 GMT

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently proclaimed a State of Emergency to accelerate California’s response to avian influenza A (H5N1), or more commonly known as ‘bird flu.’

According to Newsom, this action comes as cases were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California, signaling the need to expand monitoring further and build on the coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus.

“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak. Building on California’s testing and monitoring system — the largest in the nation — we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agriculture industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information,” Gov. Newsom said in a statement. “While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”

State health officials have reported that cases of H5N1 have been found on 641 dairy farms. The first confirmed case in the state occurred earlier in August, but roughly half of the farms were identified within the last month.

So far, no person-to-person transmission of H5N1 has been reported in California, and nearly all infected individuals have had direct exposure to infected cattle.

According to Newsom, the state has implemented the nation’s most extensive testing and monitoring system to address the outbreak. This recent declaration aims to bolster the state agencies’ response by providing additional staff and resources for testing, heightened quarantine measures, and distributing personal protective equipment to high-risk dairy employees.

Since its initial detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024, the virus has spread to dairy cattle in 16 states.

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New Zealand Reports First Case of HPAI

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 14:34:42 GMT

Biosecurity New Zealand has placed strict movement controls on a commercial rural Otago egg farm, the Ministry for Primary Industries reports, after testing confirmed a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (HPAI) in chickens that has likely developed from interactions with local waterfowl and wild birds.

“Tests from the Mainland Poultry managed farm have identified a high pathogenic H7N6 subtype of avian influenza. While it is not the H5N1 type circulating among wildlife around the world that has caused concern, we are taking the find seriously,” Biosecurity New Zealand deputy director-general Stuart Anderson, said in the release.

Testing shows it is unrelated to a H7 strain that was identified in Australia earlier this year. Experts believe this case may have occurred as part of a spillover event, where foraging laying hens were exposed to a low pathogenic virus from wild waterfowl.

“Low pathogenic viruses are present in wild birds here, especially waterfowl like ducks, geese, and swans, and the virus can mutate on interaction with chickens,” Anderson said. “It is important to note that the strain found on this farm is not a wildlife adapted strain like H5N1, so we believe it is unlikely to be transmitted to mammals.”

The report says there have been no reports of other ill or dead birds on other poultry farms. There are no human health or food safety concerns, so it is safe to consume thoroughly cooked egg and poultry products, the release said.

Quick action had been taken in co-operation with Mainland Poultry and a restricted place notice issued, Anderson explained in the release.

“Test results late last night confirmed the strain, but we already had restrictions in place and expert biosecurity staff on site, with more arriving today. Mainland Poultry took the right steps by reporting ill birds in one shed on the property and locking that building down as testing continued,” he said. “We will move quickly, with Mainland Poultry, to depopulate birds on the remote property, and we’ve placed a 10-kilometre buffer zone around it alongside the restrictions preventing movement of animals, equipment, and feed. We aim to stamp this out like we did with infectious bursal viral disease that affected chickens in 2019.”

John McKay, chief executive of Mainland Poultry, manages the free-range farm. He says the farm is committed to taking quick action.

“We have been preparing for an event like this for some time, knowing that low pathogenic avian influenza is already present in New Zealand wild birds,” McKay said in the release. “Fortunately, this is not the H5N1 type that has caused concern for wildlife in other parts of the world. International experience with avian influenza has shown us this particular strain (H7N6) can be eradicated quickly and successfully.”

Biosecurity New Zealand will work closely with industry partners to limit possible impacts to trade.

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USDA Reports First H5N1 Detection in Swine

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 23:30:32 GMT

USDA announced on Oct. 30 the first reported case of H5N1 in a pig in an Oregon backyard farm. It’s important to note there is no concern about the safety of the nation’s pork supply as a result of this finding, USDA said. This farm is a non-commercial operation, and the animals were not intended for the commercial food supply.

“The confirmed case in Oregon poses no threat to consumer health or food safety; properly handled and cooked pork products remain safe for consumption,” Bryan Humphreys, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) CEO said in a statement. “The entire pork industry remains committed to safeguarding food safety and human and animal health.”

The case was discovered on a backyard farm that includes a mix of poultry and livestock, including swine. The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced on Friday, Oct. 25, that poultry on this farm represented the first H5N1 detection in Crook County, Oregon. On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories also confirmed one of the farm’s five pigs to be infected with H5N1, marking the first detection of H5N1 in swine in the U.S., USDA reports.  

“The livestock and poultry on this farm shared water sources, housing, and equipment; in other states, this combination has enabled transmission between species. Although the swine did not display signs of illness, the Oregon Department of Health and USDA tested the five swine for H5N1 out of an abundance of caution and because of the presence of H5N1 in other animals on the premises,” USDA wrote.

The swine were euthanized to facilitate additional diagnostic analysis. Although test results were negative for two of the pigs, and test results are still pending for two others.  
The farm has been quarantined to prevent further spread of the virus. Other animals on the farm include sheep and goats that remain under surveillance.  

“USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has conducted genomic sequencing of virus from the poultry infected on this farm, and that sequencing has not identified any changes to the H5N1 virus that would suggest to USDA and CDC that it is more transmissible to humans, indicating that the current risk to the public remains low,” USDA wrote.

H5N1 detections include viral genome sequencing to provide additional information of interest to medical professionals and the research community to improve understanding of the virus. Genetic sequencing for these samples is underway, but results may be inconclusive due to low viral levels in the samples, USDA said.   

Pork Producers Practice Biosecurity to Protect Pigs
Biosecurity is critical to eradicating H5N1 and other viruses. Not only does biosecurity protect the health of livestock, but it also protects the health of farmworkers and their families. For more information on protecting farmworkers, visit the CDC’s website .
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10 Powerful Take Homes to Enhance Biosecurity on Your Pig Farm
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The pork industry has worked alongside USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) since 2009 to carry out the swine influenza surveillance program to identify influenza viruses circulating in swine, proactively detect reassortment viruses that could impact public health, and gain knowledge to contribute to improved animal health diagnostics and vaccines, NPPC pointed out in a statement.

“Pork producers have always been proactive and diligent about implementing biosecurity plans as part of their daily production practices to assure animals wellbeing and food safety,” Lori Stevermer, NPPC president and Minnesota pork producer said. “This detection serves as a reminder for producers of all sizes to understand and address influenza virus risks.”

What’s Next?
USDA recently approved two vaccine field safety trials for vaccine candidates designed to protect dairy cows from H5N1, and continues to explore vaccine options for other species.   As USDA takes additional steps to protect the health of livestock, it will continue to work closely with CDC to protect the health of people and FDA to protect the safety of the food supply.

“These collective, collaborative efforts have helped protect farmworkers and farmers, the health and welfare of livestock animals, and reaffirmed the safety of the nation’s food supply. The U.S. government remains committed to addressing this situation with urgency,” USDA said.

Learn more about USDA’s response to HPAI in dairy cattle.

The situation is being monitored by local public health officials, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon State Veterinarian, Oregon Department of Agriculture, as well as USDA and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.   

Read More:
Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Animal Health Experts Open Up About Future Disease Preparedness
How the Swine Industry Responded to H5N1 Outbreak in Dairy Cattle
A Message to the Ag Industry about H5N1

Navigating HPAI: Supporting Producers and Safeguarding Cows

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:04:24 GMT

The first person who will notice illness in the herd is the one who works hands-on with the cows. It’s a cow that just looks off, a drop in production or changes in cow activity and behavior that triggers a call to the vet, monitoring or treating. Treatment is on a case-by-case basis, depending on which cow it is and what’s going on.

But for matters of trade and human health, the health of the entire U.S. herd must be addressed systematically. Rosemary B. Sifford, DVM; Deputy Administrator; USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says disease monitoring actually looks very similar on the state and national level. “Except, of course, we’re looking across all the herds. In some cases, we do have surveillance programs in place for diseases that we that we know are of concern for us.”

She adds, “Our trade partners are very interested in what controls we put in place and how we eradicate diseases, so we share that information, and that helps to build their confidence, and allows us to trade, even sometimes in the face of an outbreak.”

Top of mind right now is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), and Sifford says that although this battle has been a long one, the USDA team can effectively follow protocols that have been laid out for other viral diseases in the past.

“Our action strategy is really made up of four key parts,” she says. “Understanding the virus in the cattle, understanding how it’s moving and what the effects are on the cattle, how it’s distributed amongst the cattle herd, and being able to address that by mitigating the movement of the virus, and then providing support to the producers to ensure business continuity.”

Ken McCarty, one of the owners of McCarty Family Farms in western Kansas identifies factors that are largely beyond their control as events they are closely watching. Events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and their subsequent effects on fuel and commodity markets exemplify these difficulties.

“Those sort of ‘black swan events’ that used to be once in a decade now appear to be occurring yearly or every couple of years,” McCarty explained. In response, the farm aims to price-proof their operations, ensuring they can withstand these unpredictable shifts.

HPAI was not on the 2024 radar for McCarty Farms. Nonetheless, their prior planning for foreign animal disease outbreaks allowed them to quickly adapt and take necessary actions. As they put it, “It’s those types of events that are midterm challenges that we’re always trying to prepare for.”

Sifford emphasizes that farmers are not alone in prevention or treatment for HPAI. “We do have a number of financial incentives available to help producers through all of this, from covering the testing and some of the veterinary costs, to having somebody come out and help you with a biosecurity plan or audit, personal protective equipment for employees,” she says.

“We really encourage producers to be involved in the status program, because this is an important way for us to understand where the virus is and what’s going on, and it gives producers a level of confidence that they’ve maintained the biosecurity necessary to keep from having to worry about the virus.”

Find more HPAI resources and support at www.aphis.usda.gov .

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