Biosecurity

Pseudorabies (PRV) Confirmed in Iowa and Texas Commercial Swine Herds

Fri, 01 May 2026 13:06:43 GMT

For the first time since being eradicated in the U.S. commercial swine herd in 2004, pseudorabies (PRV) has been confirmed in herds in Iowa and Texas.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) confirmed the detection of PRV antibodies in a small commercial swine facility in Iowa. The discovery was made through routine testing rather than pre-movement surveillance.

Traceback Confirms Texas Connection

Initial traceback efforts reveal that five affected boars in the Iowa facility originated from an outdoor production site in Texas. Subsequent testing of the Texas herd also returned positive results for the virus.

APHIS is currently collaborating with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) to expand traceback efforts and identify any further exposures.

The Feral Swine Risk

Although the commercial industry has been free of the disease for more than 20 years, PRV remains prevalent in feral swine populations across the U.S. Officials believe this detection is a result of “spillover” from wild populations.

“Pseudorabies is still found in wild or feral swine populations, which remain a potential threat of exposure for domestic pigs,” an APHIS release stated. The Texas herd involved was housed outdoors, where contact with feral swine is possible.

Impact and Symptoms

PRV is a contagious viral disease that serves as a significant threat to herd productivity:

Adult Pigs: Causes abortions, stillbirths, and respiratory issues.
Newborn Pigs: Attacks the respiratory and central nervous systems, leading to sneezing, incoordination, and high mortality rates.

While pigs are the only natural hosts, PRV can infect most other mammals—though humans, horses, and birds are considered resistant.

Official Response and Market Safety

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig emphasized that the state is moving decisively to eliminate the disease.

“The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has spent years preparing for these types of animal health events,” Naig said. “It’s important for people to know that pseudorabies is not a food safety concern, and this virus does not pose a risk to consumers. The United States’ pork supply remains safe and secure.”

Export Implications

Despite the lack of risk to food safety, the detection could have economic repercussions. APHIS warns there may be limited, short-term impacts on the exports of U.S. swine and swine genetics as trading partners evaluate the new health status.

“Established protocols were implemented immediately in response to the incident and remain in place to safeguard the commercial swine industry,” the National Pork Producers Council said in a statement. “These steps were successfully deployed through swift action and close coordination with USDA and the IDALS. The National Pork Producers Council and Iowa Pork Producers Association support these efforts and remain committed to a coordinated response to prioritize biosecurity and prevent further occurrences.”

Global Expansion of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Serotype SAT1 Raises Alarms

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:42:36 GMT

Recent reports of the emergence and spread of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) SAT1 serotype are highlighting a concerning shift in the global landscape of this virus. The Swine Health Information Center-funded Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports, led by Dr. Sol Perez at the University of Minnesota, have highlighted the newly affected countries in monthly publications.

“For FMDV, immunity is serotype-specific, meaning infection or vaccination against a given serotype does not confer protection against a different serotype,” Perez says in a SHIC article.

A Rapid Geographic Shift

Historically, SAT1 was maintained within endemic locations in East and Southern Africa. However, in 2025, SAT1 demonstrated a “concerning expansion” beyond its traditional geographic range, with confirmed detections of two cocirculating subtypes across Western Asia and North Africa. The increasing circulation of SAT1 poses a growing risk to previously unaffected regions, including southeast Europe and potentially beyond. As this serotype expands its geographic range, it creates additional pathways for introduction into new regions and countries, increasing the overall likelihood of transboundary spread, Perez notes.

The Immunity Gap

The primary concern for animal health officials is that FMDV immunity is serotype-specific. Current vaccination programs in many affected regions target serotypes O, A and Asia-1. Because these vaccines provide no cross-protection against SAT1, livestock populations remain effectively susceptible, research shows. This “ecological space” has allowed SAT1 to spread rapidly through populations that were previously considered protected.

Drivers of FMD Transmission

SAT1’s expansion is likely due to several factors, Perez says.

Livestock Movement: Informal cross-border movement of small ruminants, which may carry subclinical infections, is a primary driver.
Environmental Pressures: Drought and land-use changes have increased contact between wildlife reservoirs and domestic herds.
Vaccine Limitations: A lack of SAT1-specific vaccine stockpiles and gaps in surveillance have hindered rapid response efforts.

FMD Implications for the United States

Although the U.S. remains free of FMD, the expansion of SAT1 into new regions of the world increases the complexity of global risk, Perez says. The emergence of two cocirculating subtypes (topotypes SAT1/I and SAT1/III) creates more pathways for the virus to enter the U.S. via international travel, contaminated animal products, or fomites.

“These global developments underscore the need to strengthen early detection and surveillance systems, maintain stringent biosecurity measures across livestock value chains, and ensure that vaccine preparedness strategies are sufficiently flexible to incorporate emerging serotypes such as SAT1,” Perez says.

For the U.S. pork industry, this serves as a critical reminder to maintain stringent biosecurity measures and support global monitoring efforts to prevent a domestic outbreak.

Bovine Tuberculosis Detected in Michigan Dairy

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:18:19 GMT

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has confirmed a case of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a dairy herd in Charlevoix County, located west of Michigan’s Modified Accredited Zone (MAZ), where the disease is known to be present in the state’s white-tailed deer population.

(Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development)

According to state officials, the detection followed identification of bovine TB in an adult cow at a USDA Food Safety Inspection Service-inspected processing plant. Through animal traceability efforts, officials traced the animal back to its herd of origin. Subsequent testing of the herd identified additional bovine TB cases.

“This latest detection of bovine TB highlights two important realities: how challenging the disease is to address; and why it is so crucial to use all of our tools for detection to swiftly identify cases and take actions to limit disease spread,” say Nora Wineland, state veterinarian for Michigan. “While finding a newly affected herd is never ideal, this case demonstrates our systems for detection and traceability are working, allowing us to quickly implement measures to protect animal health and public health in Michigan.”

MDARD reports an epidemiological investigation is already underway to determine whether additional cases may be linked to the affected herd. There are currently two TB zones within the state: a four-county area in northern lower Michigan called the Modified Accredited Zone, and the remainder of the state’s 83 counties is referred to as the Accredited Free Zone.

This is Michigan’s second confirmed bovine TB case in the past 13 months. The previous case was identified in a beef herd in Alcona County, located within the state’s Modified Accredited Zone, in January 2025. With this latest detection, a total of 84 cattle herds have been confirmed with bovine TB in Michigan since 1998.

What is Bovine Tuberculosis?

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), bovine tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial disease that can infect all mammals, including humans. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis and spreads through both direct contact between infected and uninfected animals and indirect exposure, such as contaminated feed, water or the environment.

The disease progresses slowly, often developing over several years. Infection typically begins in the lymph nodes before advancing to the lungs and chest cavity, where it can cause serious lesions.

While cattle are the primary host, the disease can also be present in white-tailed deer and elk, as well as bison, goats and certain carnivores, including coyotes.

The Symptoms

Unfortunately, infected cattle are typically asymptomatic. Detection usually occurs during live animal skin testing or, more commonly, at slaughter through our national slaughter surveillance program, according to USDA. If cattle or bison show clinical signs of tuberculosis, the disease has advanced to affect multiple organ systems, which is rare.

Can it be Prevented?

Bovine TB most often spreads through close contact, especially nose-to-nose interaction between animals, or when cattle consume feed or water that’s been contaminated. In most cases, herds become infected one of two ways: by bringing in an infected animal or through exposure to infected wildlife.

While the prevalence of tuberculosis in cattle is extremely low in the U.S., with an estimated prevalence of 7 per 1 million cattle screened, it can occur. Producers should work alongside their veterinarian to help create a biosecurity plan.

How is it Identified?

According to APHIS, the primary source of tuberculosis surveillance is carcass inspection at all federal and state inspected slaughter establishments. The other main sources of tuberculosis detection are testing animals before interstate movement and during disease investigations. Live animal testing is performed with a screening test. If positive, the regulatory veterinarian will conduct a confirmatory test.

Can it be Treated?

Unfortunately, tuberculosis in livestock is not a treatable disease. When health officials find tuberculosis in a herd, it is managed by either depopulating the herd or by testing and removing reactor animals.

Prepping Dairies for the Return of the New World Screwworm

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:00:59 GMT

As New World screwworm moves closer to the southern U.S., dairy farmers, veterinarians and industry leaders are paying closer attention. While it’s not time to panic yet, there is a shared focus on being prepared if the pest crosses the border.

Keith Poulsen, Ph.D., director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, explained the urgency during a recent “Professional Dairy Producers” webinar.

“This is not just another fly,” Poulsen says. “The New World screwworm is the larval stage of a fly that actually burrows into live tissue. That’s what makes it unique and what makes it a genuine threat to cattle, other livestock and even people.”

The U.S. successfully eradicated the screwworm in 1960 using a method called the sterile insect technique. This approach involved breeding and releasing millions of sterile male flies into the wild. When these sterile males mated with wild females, no offspring were produced, slowly shrinking the screwworm population. Over time, this effort drove the pest out of the country.

“It took decades, but we pushed screwworm out of North America all the way into South America,” Poulsen explains.

Today, detections moving north through Mexico have veterinarians and animal health officials paying close attention. With confirmed cases now within roughly 70 miles of the Texas border, the concern is very real.

“We’ve seen this pest before,” Poulsen says. “The fact that it’s moving north again means we need to be ready.”

Why is This Fly Different?

Unlike flies that target manure or dead tissue, the New World screwworm lays eggs in living animals. When those eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the tissue and feed, creating painful wounds that can rapidly worsen.

“They’re irritated because it’s painful,” Poulsen explains. “When those eggs hatch and the larvae start feeding, it creates abscesses. Abscesses are painful, and they can lead to sepsis or a generalized infection.”

Animal deaths aren’t usually common, but the damage does not need to be fatal to be costly. Livestock often lose condition, require treatment and can suffer carcass trimming or condemnation later.

“You might see it at slaughter when tissue has to be trimmed out or carcasses are condemned,” Poulsen says. “That’s where a lot of the economic impact shows up.”

What Should You Look For?

Poulsen stresses early detection depends less on new technology and more on careful observation. The good news is producers already do this every day.

“We call it active observational surveillance,” he says. “You already check your animals every day. Now you just add a heightened awareness for very specific signs.”

Producers should watch for changes in behavior, skin condition and overall comfort, including:

Unusual discomfort or behavior, such as head shaking, kicking at the body, tail swishing or animals isolating themselves from the group
Animals that just seem off, even if no obvious wound is visible at first
Open sores or abscesses, especially those that appear suddenly or worsen quickly
Foul smelling wounds, which can indicate infected or abscessed tissue
Clusters of lesions, rather than a single isolated wound. “You’ll often see chains of abscesses,” Poulsen explains. “They can range from blueberry sized to golf ball sized, and you’ll usually see more than one.”

Certain areas of the body deserve extra attention, particularly places animals struggle to brush flies away, including:

Udder cleft and teat base
Axilla or armpit area
Neck and dewlap
Along the topline or shoulders

In more advanced cases, larvae can be visible within the wound.

“If you see larvae or maggots coming out, that’s a real telltale sign,” Poulsen adds.

Identifying the Fly

Adult screwworm flies look different from common horn flies, but Poulsen cautions against relying on visual identification alone.

“They have a metallic green body, large heads and striping on the abdomen,” he says. “But it’s hard to tell for sure just by looking.”

(USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)

Instead, he encourages producers to involve their veterinarian and diagnostic labs early rather than trying to make the call themselves.

“If you think you see the flies, grab a couple, put them in a collection vial and give them to your veterinarian,” Poulsen says. “We’ll identify them for free. Our lab network is activated and trained to look for this.”

Is This Only a Southern Concern?

Texas and the broader Southwest face the highest risk because warm temperatures allow screwworm flies to survive year-round, giving the pest more opportunity to reproduce and spread. Still, Poulsen cautions that northern states should not assume they are completely safe.

“We move a lot of animals back and forth,” he says. “Wisconsin alone moves about 6,000 animals per month to and from Texas.”

Transporting calves south or bringing in animals from higher-risk areas can inadvertently introduce screwworm to northern herds. Even healthy-looking animals can carry early-stage larvae that are not yet visible.

“The risk up here isn’t zero, but it’s not as high as in the south,” Poulsen says. “The advice for those farms is simple. Look closely. If you see anything, say something.”

Cold weather slows screwworm activity, giving farms some seasonal relief. Still, producers need to stay alert as warmer weather returns.

“Now that we’re in the middle of winter, flies shouldn’t be an issue,” he says. “This season is more about keeping an eye out and staying ready for what spring might bring.”

What Happens if Screwworm Crosses the Border?

While no one can say exactly how regulatory responses would play out if screwworm returns, agencies are already preparing.

Federal and state animal health officials are increasing surveillance, testing and monitoring programs to catch the pest early. Rapid response plans are also being developed, including quarantine measures, movement restrictions and treatment strategies.

“We’re ramping up testing, education and surveillance,” Poulsen says. “It’s not just about detecting insect presence. It’s about rapid response, communication and ensuring we have animal movement protocols ready if needed.”

Public health is also involved.

“We had a human case in Maryland from someone who traveled to an endemic area,” he adds. “Public health found it, treated it and contained it. That tells me the system works, but we still don’t want it in our livestock.”

Making Biosecurity a Priority

Being proactive isn’t just about one pest. Recent research presented at the MILK Business Conference shows many U.S. dairy farms take a reactive approach to biosecurity, leaving operations vulnerable to evolving disease threats. About one-third of farms don’t regularly review their biosecurity plans, even as challenges like highly pathogenic avian influenza, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and New World screwworm continue to emerge.

The survey of more than 300 dairy producers found that while 68% of larger farms have a biosecurity plan, 34% do not review or update it regularly. The good news is that more than 70% of large dairies are working on improvements, showing parts of the industry are taking biosecurity seriously. Having these systems in place can make a real difference when it comes to spotting problems like screwworm early and responding quickly.

Awareness Over Alarm

Poulsen is quick to clarify that being prepared does not mean panicking. While screwworm has not been detected in U.S. livestock yet, thinking ahead can make all the difference.

“If animals are coming from a high-risk area, they may need to be treated before transport and monitored closely after arrival,” he says. On modern dairies, that is easier said than done because quarantine takes space and space costs money. That is why he encourages producers to start planning now.

“Talk to your veterinarian,” he says. “Ask what your biosecurity plan looks like if you have to bring animals in. Do you have a place to isolate them? How long would they stay there? What treatments would you use?”

He emphasizes that the goal is not fear but knowledge and readiness.

“This isn’t about fear. It’s about knowing what we’re up against and using every resource we have to protect our animals and our industry.”

While the threat of New World screwworm seems intimidating, Poulsen’s advice is simple. Keep up with the latest updates, pay close attention to your animals and reach out to your vet or state animal health officials sooner rather than later. Staying ahead now makes all the difference later.

“The consequence of missing it is very, very high,” Poulsen adds. “It is much easier to control it early than later.”

Looking ahead, he sees the current situation as the start of a longer process.

“We’re at the beginning of this, not the end,” Poulsen says. “That’s exactly why we’re having these conversations now.”

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.

Managing Disease Risk Before It Arrives

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:33:17 GMT

As cattle move more frequently across regions and production systems, veterinarians are increasingly tasked with helping clients prevent the introduction of infectious disease that can persist silently and erode herd performance over time. In many cases, the greatest risk is not an outbreak, but the gradual establishment of a pathogen that is difficult or impossible to eliminate once introduced.

While biosecurity includes people, equipment and environmental considerations, animal movement remains the most important driver of infectious disease risk. This was the central topic of discussion on a recent episode of Dr. Dan Thomson’s “DocTalk.”

Why Animal Movement Drives Disease Risk

“Our biggest risk is going to come from the animal itself,” said Dr. Dustin Loy, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “This is going to be something that’s going to move with the animal and be transmitted from that animal to the rest of the herd.”

Transport and commingling represent peak risk periods for disease transmission. The stressors associated with hauling, dietary change and social disruption can suppress immune function and allow latent or subclinical infections to emerge. When cattle with different exposure histories mix, pathogens can spread rapidly through immunologically naive groups.

“If we can make sure that those animals we’re sourcing have a herd health program, they’ve had those calfhood vaccines and the boosters, that they have a high level of immunity to the common diseases, that’s going to really help us prevent some amount of problems,” Loy says.

However, while vaccination programs reduce risk, they are insufficient for a number of diseases of biosecurity concern. Performing diagnostic testing before animals are purchased or moved can help identify infected animals before they enter herds.

Diseases That Define Biosecurity Risk

Several diseases are consistently central to cattle biosecurity planning due to their transition dynamics, diagnostic challenges, and long-term herd impact.

Johne’s Disease

Johne’s disease remains one of the most difficult infections to control as clinical signs don’t appear until years after the animal has been infected.

“The challenge with Johne’s is that those calves are infected when they’re a month or less in age,” Loy says. “We’re not able to test those calves until they’re at least a year and a half, and usually we want to wait until they’re two or three years old just to know if they’re infected. And so that’s a real diagnostic challenge: being able to identify those animals early.”

Due to this prolonged subclinical phase, infected animals can shed Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis, contaminating the environment and exposing young calves. Clinical signs include progressive weight loss, decreased production and chronic diarrhea, with no effective treatment. Because diagnostic sensitivity improves with age, Loy says fecal testing at pregnancy checks provides a practical surveillance point for identifying infected adults and limiting further transmission.

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is increasingly detected outside historically endemic regions, likely due to cattle movement. Caused by Anaplasma marginale, this disease is transmitted mechanically by ticks, biting flies and contaminated instruments. Calves exposed early often develop immunity with minimal clinical disease, but infection in naive cattle can cause severe anemia, abortions and sudden death.

Importantly, vectors can only transmit the organism if infected animals are present, making the testing of incoming cattle a key biosecurity step to prevent establishing a persistent reservoir within a herd.

“If we don’t have animals with anaplasmosis coming into the area, the ticks don’t transmit anaplasmosis,” Thomson says.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)

Despite routine vaccination, BVD remains a biosecurity concern due to persistently infected (PI) animals.

“You get cows that are infected when they’re pregnant, they infect the fetus, and then the fetus does not have an immune response to the virus, so that calf is born infected. It never clears the virus and continues to shed that throughout its life,” Loy explains.

PI animals serve as powerful sources of infection, contributing to reproductive failure, immunosuppression, respiratory disease and poor performance, even in vaccinated herds. Ear-notch testing is a practical, cost-effective method for identifying PI animals prior to commingling.

Bovine Leukosis Virus (BLV)

BLV transmission occurs through blood transfer, including needles, equipment and biting insects. While many infected cattle remain asymptomatic, a subset develop lymphoma later in life, reducing longevity and productivity. Screening animals intended for long-term retention, such as breeding stock or embryo recipients, can help prevent gradual spread within expanding herds.

Core Biosecurity Questions for Veterinarians

When advising clients on cattle purchases or movements, consider asking the following questions:

Where are the animals coming from and have they been commingled with cattle from other sources?
Are these animals being moved between groups, pastures or regions with different disease exposure histories?
Do the source animals have an established herd health program, including appropriate core vaccinations and boosters?
Can diagnostic testing be used before or shortly after movement to reduce quarantine time and uncertainty?

Effective biosecurity does not eliminate all disease risk. Instead, it allows for the identification of the most consequential threats early, before they become entrenched, expensive and difficult to control.

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.

How Vet Visits and Biosecurity Shape Producers’ Views on Disease Preparedness

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:45:58 GMT

When it comes to animal health, what beef producers believe about disease risk can shape what they do about prevention. A recent study by Dr. Csaba Varga and his colleagues at the University of Illinois explored what influences how beef cattle producers in Illinois think about biosecurity, prevention and the threat of foreign animal diseases (FADs). The findings point to a simple, but powerful, truth: meaningful engagement with veterinarians and structured biosecurity evaluations can dramatically improve producer outlooks on disease preparedness.

The Survey

Between June and August 2022, researchers surveyed more than 500 beef producers across Illinois. They wanted to know how producers viewed disease prevention and the risk of FADs, and what factors might shape those views.

The team focused on three things:

Whether the farm had a biosecurity evaluation
Whether a veterinarian visited the farm
Whether the producer was willing to invest money in prevention measures

These factors were then compared to producers’ attitudes about disease risk and preparedness.

While the majority of respondents recognized infectious diseases could threaten their operations, attitudes toward the likelihood of an outbreak and the value of prevention varied widely.

Veterinarians Make a Clear Difference

The results showed producers who had regular veterinary visits were far more likely to think positively about disease prevention and awareness. That means simply having a vet stop by, even for routine herd checks, can strengthen a producer’s understanding of disease risk and increase confidence in prevention measures.

For veterinarians, this highlights the value of staying engaged with beef clients — not just for treatments or emergencies, but as trusted advisers on herd health and biosecurity. Every visit is a chance to start a conversation on prevention.

“Veterinarians should engage in proactive, ongoing communication with producers about the importance of biosecurity and disease prevention strategies,” Varga encourages. “Emphasizing the potential negative economic and herd health consequences of an FAD outbreak is also important to show producers the long-term benefits of investing in prevention measures. Biosecurity assessments and educating producers on how to assess their farm’s biosecurity vulnerabilities and recommend specific actions to address these gaps are also important, which were associated with better preparedness in our study.”

The Power of Biosecurity Evaluations

The same was true for producers who had a formal biosecurity evaluation. These producers were more likely to see prevention as worthwhile and to feel ready for a potential disease outbreak.

Biosecurity reviews help turn vague ideas into practical action. They pinpoint areas that need improvement, like managing visitors, animal movement, or feed deliveries, and make prevention feel achievable — rather than overwhelming.

For vets, helping producers complete or interpret these evaluations can be a simple way to boost awareness and strengthen farm-level protection.

Willingness to Invest Reflects Awareness

Producers who said they were willing to spend more money on prevention, whether through new equipment, facility upgrades or herd health programs, also tended to have stronger positive views on disease preparedness. Those same producers were also more likely to believe FAD outbreaks could happen in the U.S.. Awareness of risk seems to motivate action.

This suggests that honest, evidence-based conversations about disease threats can encourage producers to invest in prevention. When the risk feels real and relevant, preparation feels worthwhile.

Practical Takeaways for Vets and Producers

The message from this study is straightforward: regular veterinary engagement and structured biosecurity evaluations work. They improve understanding, confidence and readiness across beef operations.

For veterinarians and industry educators, practical steps could include:

Adding quick biosecurity check-ins to routine herd visits
Encouraging producers to join state or industry biosecurity programs
Showing how prevention pays off by reducing the cost and stress of disease events
Using real examples of outbreaks to make the importance of preparedness clear

Even small efforts can have lasting impacts when they come from a trusted voice.

While this study focused on Illinois, the lessons apply anywhere beef cattle are raised. With foreign animal diseases, such as lumpy skin disease and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza , posing threats, preparedness is a shared responsibility.

The more producers understand about prevention, and the more veterinarians engage them in those conversations, the stronger the industry becomes. Varga’s team has also developed an educational website where producers can access information on disease prevention, biosecurity best practices and FAD risks.

“Disease prevention is a shared responsibility,” Varga says. “For veterinarians, it means taking a proactive role in engaging producers through regular farm visits, biosecurity evaluations and education on emerging disease risks. For producers, it means recognizing that investing in prevention — whether through improved biosecurity, veterinary partnerships, or ongoing education — is more cost-effective than responding to an outbreak after it occurs.”

Ultimately, prevention isn’t just about protecting a single herd. It’s about building resilience across the entire beef community. That starts with everyday conversations between producers and vets.

Is a World Without PRRS Possible? Two Veterinarians Say ‘Yes’

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 17:34:13 GMT

Everyone experiences pain in life. Sometimes, if the pain is excruciating enough, it results in transformational change. The current pain level of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in the U.S. is extreme, says swine veterinarians Scott Dee and Gordon Spronk. That’s why they are calling for transformational change in a viewpoint article in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association .

Dee and Spronk say it’s time to create a world without PRRS.

“We aren’t in the spring of our careers anymore,” Spronk said during an exclusive on The PORK Podcast. “We’re in the fall of our careers, and maybe it’s time to be reflective and hopefully speak into and encourage the next generation of pork producers that their life can be better. And not only their life, but the life of the pig, will be better if we had a world without PRRS.”

Why Now?
For more than 38 years, Spronk and Dee have been working side by side to fight PRRS. Why should the industry move to eradicate PRRS now?

“I have a long history as a veterinarian, but my family also raises pigs. We’re in the middle of a generational transfer,” Spronk explains. “It’s important for the next generation who will take over this operation to be encouraged about the potential of productivity, and what could clearly be achieved if we didn’t have PRRS circulating in our sow farms.”

The U.S. swine herd is currently dealing with variants such as PRRSV L1C.5 and L1C.2 that are spreading rapidly. These variants are more infectious than previous isolates, as well as highly pathogenic.

“These highly pathogenic isolates are moving around in areas between wean-to-finish barns, meaning that you can have your sow farm negative produce a group of negative pigs, place them negative, but then they become infected with lateral transmission,” Spronk says. “And our national swine herd mortality is to the level that it’s concerning from a productivity standpoint and competitiveness with other international competitors, namely Brazil.”

Field observations indicate pre-weaning mortality levels ranging from 56% to 100% post-infection, resulting in losses of $1 million to $3 million per 10-week period post-weaning, not to mention compromised animal welfare and compromised mental health among workers.

“The thing that really gets me about this one is the welfare aspect,” Dee says. “It’s the suffering that the animals and the people working on the farms go through. It’s worse than I’ve ever seen it. We know that only pigs can get PRRS, but people suffer when they watch animals die and work so hard to treat them. That to me, is a welfare aspect, along with the economics and the production issues that make this situation so difficult right now.”

What Does A World Without PRRS Look Like?
Dee says there are examples in negative barns of what a world without PRRS looks like – higher productivity, higher health pigs are more fun to raise.

“It’s a flourishing U.S. national herd with reduced antibiotic use, lower mortality, predictable productivity, and with satisfied employees working in a welfare-friendly environment,” Dee says. “In other words, a more profitable and competitive national industry for generations to come.”

Dee believes this could lead to freedom from other domestic diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and strengthened prevention of foreign animal disease.

When Dee served as president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in 2005-2006, he called for national elimination of PRRS.

“It was the right thing to call for but it was ahead of its time,” Dee points out. “We were missing two things. We were missing a clear understanding of area spread. How do we prevent the virus from moving from farm to farm? We know a lot more about that. The other is US SHIP. We didn’t have a united platform that we could all work together on to kind of collectively come together with decisions as an organization rather than just an individual. Now it’s time to have that conversation again.”

Dee and Spronk outline six non-negotiable practices the industry needs to adapt to survive.

Non-negotiable #1: The U.S. swine industry must eliminate PRRS virus.
The successful disease elimination of pseudorabies, classical swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease can be applied to build strategies to eliminate PRRS virus from our national swine herd.

“PRRS costs our industry approximately $1.2 billion per year. Global competitors like Brazil, Romania, Chile and Denmark have either successfully sustained freedom from PRRS virus or are striving to achieve/have achieved national elimination. The longer we wait, the harder it will be to compete in the global marketplace,” Spronk says.

Non-negotiable #2: The U.S. swine industry must improve its biosecurity.
The U.S. must continue to raise the level of biosecurity across the national herd, through an evidence-based approach known as Next-Generation Biosecurity (NGB), Dee says. NGB targets prevention of viral entry into the breeding herd (bio-exclusion) via direct routes (pigs and semen) and indirect routes, i.e., mechanical routes, aerosols and feed.

“The same concept must be applied to the wean-to-finish sector through both the practice of bio-exclusion to protect standing growing pigs and the practice of bio-containment to protect the region,” he says. “This latter point stresses the need for strategies designed to reduce viral excretion from infected populations, such as the use of vaccines and the participation in voluntary animal health programs.”

Non-negotiable #3: The U.S. swine industry must restrict the use of live virus inoculation.
Live virus inoculation (LVI) involves the harvesting of farm-specific viruses through injection of serum from viremic animals to induce homologous immunity in susceptible animals.

“This practice is neither safe or efficacious, as the use of LVI in sows induces pregnancy loss across all stages of gestation, and does not produce sterilizing immunity,” Dee says. “In addition, when evaluating the productivity of PRRS-virus-infected breeding herds vaccinated with modified live virus vaccines (MLV) versus those administered LVI, MLV herds returned to baseline production significantly sooner and had significantly less total reproductive loss, versus herds given LVI.”

Routine application of LVI in pregnant females should be avoided and limited to a safer use as a one-time application to stable population of non-pregnant replacement gilts housed in a biosecure gilt development facility during a PRRS virus elimination program, Dee adds.

Non-negotiable #4: The U.S. industry must change its behavior regarding the movement of PRRSV-infected pigs.
Between-farm movements of animals and transportation vehicles enhance regional spread of PRRS virus, with vehicles transporting pigs to farms being responsible for most infections. To control the spread of the virus at the regional level, they are calling for change in how PRRSV-infected pigs are moved between sites.

“The co-mingling of infected and non-infected pigs at weaning must be avoided, infected pigs should not be placed near naïve populations of negative sow farm populations or standing growing pigs, and transport vehicles should be sanitized between movements,” Spronk says. “This is simple common sense. We know what we need to do, we just must do it.”

Non-negotiable #5: The U.S. industry needs an improved genetic response to PRRS virus.
Exciting advances are underway in the field of swine genetics pertaining to PRRS virus, Dee says. One approach is the editing of the CD-163 region of the macrophage to prevent viral infection at the cellular level, while the other involves genetic selection to improve the general immune response and robustness of the pig following challenge.

“Each approach has its own strengths and limitations,” Dee says. “I think we do have to temper our enthusiasm that there’s not a silver bullet for this disease. One size doesn’t fit all.”

Non-negotiable #6: The U.S. swine industry needs to participate in US SHIP.
Modeled after the National Poultry Improvement Plan and originally based on mitigation of African swine fever and classical swine fever, the US Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) has the ability to stimulate collaboration and reduce the impact of domestic diseases such as PRRS virus, they say.

Prior to US SHIP, a platform like this was not available, Dee says. However, the industry can now use this to communicate and collaborate more effectively.

“We are clearly ready,” Dee says. “There’s no question in my mind, after 38 years dealing with this thing, we are so ready. It hurts to sit still. Now is exactly the time to take all the information, all the collaboration that’s coming, and get going, because we know what we need to do. We just have to do it.”

Watch their exclusive interview on The PORK Podcast here or listen anywhere podcasts are found.

Read the viewpoint in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Enhancing Biosecurity on Calf Ranches: Balancing Animal and Human Health

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:09:46 GMT

When it comes to biosecurity on calf ranches there are two main components: preventing disease spread among animals and safeguarding human health. While often the focus is on animal health, it’s crucial to remember the significant role humans play in disease transmission and prevention. Kirk Ramsey, veterinarian for Neogen, underscores the importance of biosecurity on calf ranches needing to involve those two main components and notes that implementing a comprehensive biosecurity strategy can help achieve a balanced approach.

In Deerfield, Kan., Kansas Dairy Development provides temporary housing for more than 96,000 head of cattle, from a few days old to springers nearly ready to calve, and according to Jason Shamburg, the organization’s co-founder and CEO, great animal care and husbandry go hand in hand with biosecurity.

“Clean cattle trailers, very clean facilities, clean calf hutches, clean bedding, clean milk, clean coveralls for our team and practices such as individual needle changes for treatments and needless applications for vaccines as well as a robust BVD screening and surveillance program are just some of the aspects that we believe develop a great calf but also creates the overall benefits of bio security,” he says.

Ramsey concurs but also notes sometimes a two-part viewpoint is overlooked at calf ranches because so much focus is put toward the calves when they are first onboarding into a new facility.

“Often they come from multiple states and go straight into calf hutches or individual pens,” he says. “In a way, this is kind of like a biosecurity practice to create a little bit of separation based on where those calves are coming from.”

Calf Health Management
Ramsey provides some tips on overall biosecurity tips for both calves and employees for calf ranches.

Onboarding
When calves arrive at ranches from various locations, biosecurity practices such as keeping calves separated in their hutches can create a needed barrier against disease. Maintaining organization based on the origin of the calves helps monitor and control potential disease spread.

“Also making sure those calves have had that first feeding is a massive part of their movement forward. Getting them comfortable and settled is a big first step.”

Sanitation Practices
Before new groups of calves are introduced, sanitation of the hutches is essential. Best practices involve pressure washing and using a combination of soap and disinfectants to clean the hutches. Air drying under the sun can further sanitize the environment. Moving hutches to new bedding areas allows the old ground to naturally sanitize and prepare for future use.

“A best recommendation practice is always moving hutches as you go down the line, so the calves are actually never on a bed pack where they were prior.”

Pest Control
Seasonal challenges, such as fly infestations in the summer, require strategic pest control measures. Ensuring dry bedding and routine sanitation practices can significantly reduce pest-associated risks. Careful maintenance of feeding areas, including bucket cleaning, can help control pest populations.

“Anything that we can do to try to maintain a drier environment in that calf hutch, the better to try to inhibit as much fly growth,” he says, noting the areas around where those flies are growing should be the target. “So that’s in front of those calf hutches, where that milk is getting spilled, where a lot of that fly growth is occurring.”

Record Keeping and Communication
Accurate record-keeping of calf health, vaccination schedules and treatments forms the foundation for effective biosecurity measures. Clear communication across all levels of staff ensures consistent implementation of biosecurity protocols, enhancing overall herd health.

“Having one person in charge of that line, or that group of lines, keeps that person responsible for those calves,” he says. “That person knows everything about those calves for that period of time, and then when they move to the next line, they are a communication relayer.”

Waste Management and Environmental Hygiene
Efficient waste management involves cleaning manure and bedding, allowing ample exposure to sunlight for natural ground sterilization. This ensures the environment is prepared for new calves, reducing the likelihood of disease resurgence.

“Allowing the sunlight to do its job, to break down the bacteria, is vital.”

Staff Training and Human Biosecurity
Another huge element to biosecurity is the people that interface with the cattle. It’s important to ask what are we doing to prevent each other from having the interface and bringing some of that stuff home to our families?

Providing coveralls and rubber boots can help reduce the risk of disease transmission to and from home environments. Encouraging routines like washing boots and hands is an easy yet impactful biosecurity measure.

Implementing comprehensive biosecurity measures on calf ranches fortifies the health of calves while protecting human health. Simple practices, such as maintaining cleanliness, systematic organization and thorough communication, can collectively elevate the biosecurity standard. Emphasizing these strategies ensures a healthier and more productive calf-raising environment.

As we aim for improved biosecurity measures, understanding both the challenges and solutions will pave the way for better practices on calf ranches, ultimately creating a win-win situation for both calves and humans.

Your Next Read:
Transform Efficiency: The Evolution of Full Circle Jerseys

Tick Riders Join the Fight Against New World Screwworm Threat

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 20:33:08 GMT

With the detection of New World screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, the Tick Riders, a dedicated group of mounted patrol inspectors, will have a new job to tackle.

The Tick Riders have been patrolling the southern U.S. border for more than 100 years. Their mission has been protecting U.S. cattle from the cattle fever tick, a troublesome parasite that causes severe blood loss, weakness and can transmit deadly diseases like babesiosis and anaplasmosis.

The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP), established in 1906, uses modern tools like chemical treatments, anti-tick vaccines and injectable medications to manage the threat, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) explains in a release.

A Line of Defense
Because Mexico continues to report cases of babesiosis, the Permanent Quarantine Zone (PQZ)—stretching from Brownsville to Del Rio, Texas—remains a critical line of defense. Within this zone, Tick Riders monitor for stray livestock crossing the border that may carry these dangerous ticks.

Cattle fever ticks carry bovine babesiosis, which is severe and often fatal.

(USDA)

To help prevent NWS, CFTEP has launched a preventive treatment protocol for all cattle and horses apprehended along the PQZ. Under the new protocol, CFTEP staff will apply NWS-preventative treatments to captured animals.

“These treatments are safe for animals and the environment. They do not replace APHIS’ routine inspections for cattle fever ticks,” APHIS explains.

However, to defend the U.S. from mounting threats of NWS, APHIS is employing these additional measures.

Don’t Accept Unusual
The NWS fly lays eggs and larvae in open wounds of warm-blooded animals,” says Russ Daly, Extension veterinarian for South Dakota State University. “NWS’s function is similar (but different) to a maggot. Domestic blow flies lay their eggs on dead tissue. The resulting maggots feed on the dead tissue. The difference with NWS is it lays its eggs on living tissue and will feed on living tissue.”

(USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)

NWS is endemic in parts of the Caribbean and South America and has recently spread as far north as southern Mexico.

“As Tick Riders take on this new challenge, they continue to exemplify APHIS’ commitment to protecting U.S. agriculture,” APHIS reports. “Their work helps ensure that farmers, ranchers and producers can keep feeding, fueling and clothing America.”

Daly challenges livestock producers to pay attention to unusual situations. If you have an animal that suddenly has a lot of necrotic tissue that fly larvae (maggots) are trying to clean up, Daly says that’s a sign producers need to take seriously.

“NWS does respond to some insecticides that we would use for show pigs or horses during the summer to keep the flies off,” Daly adds. “But in order to get that animal healed up, the larvae have to be flushed out and removed by a veterinarian. These infestations can lead to secondary infections to worry about. And, if the infestation has gone deep enough, there could be severe muscle damage or damage to other organs that are beyond help.”

Treatment products need to be considered, adds Lisa Becton, assistant director of SHIC. Because of this, wound care is key during NWS infestation.

“If you have animals that have sores, it’s very important to treat that wound,” Becton says. “You may or may not be able to use a sealant, whether that’s iodine or antibacterial. Wound care is very important to help get a wound healing fast, even if you also have to use antimicrobials for an animal to help prevent other infection.”

Learn more:
Protect Your Livestock: Signs of New World Screwworm

8 Easy, Cost-Effective Tips To Maximize Biosecurity On The Farm And At The Fair This Summer

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:38:38 GMT

When it comes to biosecurity, livestock producers should have protocols in place for both on the farm and when taking animals to fairs or exhibitions. Live animals, vehicles, equipment, animal products and people can carry disease onto farms.

University of Missouri Extension dairy specialist Chloe Collins says preparation helps producers know what they are up against.

“This will help your biosecurity practices run smoothly and effectively,” she says.

With it being county and state fair season for many parts of the country, University of Missouri Extension veterinarian Corinne Bromfield says there are easy things producers can do to improve biosecurity and help minimize transmission of diseases.

“Many think biosecurity needs to be intense and expensive, but small, consistent actions can pay big dividends,” Bromfield says.

Collins and Bromfield share basic biosecurity steps that cost little to nothing but can save a lot of money and headaches:

Check health requirements for exhibitions. Many events require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), or health certificate from a veterinarian — especially for livestock traveling from out of state. This helps ensure only healthy animals go to shows, reducing the likelihood animals will pick up something at the show and bring it back home. If livestock exhibit any signs of contagious disease, such as coughing, diarrhea or skin irritations, they should be left at home.

Dedicated clothing. People taking animals to fairs should wear dedicated clothing and footwear at the fair and not bring them home to their other animals. Having dedicated clothing/footwear that doesn’t leave your farm is also important for your animals staying home.

Isolate new or returning animals. This is a key step to mitigate the immediate spread of disease and gives producers time to observe animals. Make sure the isolation area is separate from high-traffic areas and has its own feed and water sources. Another option is attending a terminal show, where the livestock will not return to the home herd.

Set a quarantine protocol. Keep new or returning animals separate from the herd for at least two weeks (four weeks is even better), and watch for any signs of illness. This helps prevent the spread of disease to animals that are currently healthy animals. Work with your quarantined after working with the home herd.

Sanitize. Keep housing, feeding and watering areas clean. Regularly disinfect these spaces and remove manure frequently to reduce cross contamination. Avoid bringing home feed, shavings or manure from the event. Wash the trailer to clean off manure, and always wash your hands after interacting with animals.

Clean your equipment. This is especially important for those attending fairs this summer or frequently moving animals. Always clean your equipment before you leave the farm and as soon as you return. If you’re bringing new equipment, such as a stock trailer, to the farm, stop at a truck wash on the way home to clean and disinfect it. Don’t forget to scrub buckets, fans, panels, shovels and any other objects that have traveled with your animal or may have encountered other animals or animal products.

Limit farm access. Create designated areas for visitors. If you frequently have people who visit your farm, create zones for them — preferably away from animal areas. Require visitors to wear disposable footwear covers (like plastic boots) to limit disease spread. Designate parking and foot traffic areas to keep a barrier from your herd. Consider posting “Personnel Only” signs and establish protocols for high-risk areas, such as feed storage and highly trafficked zones.

Develop a written biosecurity plan unique to your farm. First, figure out what risks you already face with visitors, moving equipment on and off the farm and other animals that could be potential disease vectors. Plan how to mitigate animal contact and minimize risks.

Your next read: Remember Biosecurity Practices As You Exhibit Animals at Shows and Fairs

Protect Your Livestock: Signs of New World Screwworm

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:45:16 GMT

Lizeth Olivarez doesn’t know if people will have the stomach to deal with New World screwworm (NWS). She’s a sixth-generation rancher who runs cattle in the U.S. and in Mexico at Las bendiciones Ranch in Realitos, Texas, and Rancho El Cuellareno in Guerrero, Tamaulipas.

Although she hasn’t experienced it herself, she has grown up hearing story after story about NWS from both her grandfather and father who dealt with NWS when the deadly fly struck in the 1960s. With reports of NWS in seven states in Mexico, the U.S. continues to bolster its defenses to keep the pest out.

(USDA)

“The first time around NWS was eradicated by using sterile flies dropped from planes in a box that look like a Big Mac burger box with a target sign on it,” Olivarez says. “The only way to eradicate the NWS is with sterile flies.”

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a five-pronged plan to combat NWS on June 18 partnering with Mexican counterparts and using this sterile insect technology to stop the spread.

“It’s important to clarify we currently don’t have [NWS] here in the U.S.,” says Russ Daly, Extension veterinarian for South Dakota State University.

He admits it’s a strange name for a fly – New World screwworm – because it makes you think it’s a worm.

“It’s not actually a worm – it’s the larvae of the NWS fly that deposits its eggs in animals,” he explains. “They can get big in size, up to two-thirds of an inch. The first person who described them might have thought they look like little worms. They have ridges that are spiral, and that allows these larvae to burrow down into the animal. That’s how they get their name.”

The NWS fly lays eggs and larvae in open wounds of warm-blooded animals. Daly says NWS’s function is similar (but different) to a maggot. Domestic blow flies lay their eggs on dead tissue. The resulting maggots feed on the dead tissue. The difference with NWS is it lays its eggs on living tissue and will feed on living tissue.

“NWS is not easy to recognize,” Daly adds. “You really need an entomologist to recognize the fly and the larvae. For recognizing a problem in the animal, it might come down to recognizing a larval infestation that is showing up in unusual circumstances.”

(Lori Hays)

It’s Not Just a Cattle Problem
Megan Niederwerder, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), says it’s important to remember this is not just a cattle disease – it impacts other livestock species and humans as well.

(Lori Hays)

“The fly can deposit its larvae in any open wounds as well as surgical sites such as castrations and umbilical sites after a newborn animal is born. It can also deposit its larvae in any mucous membranes,” Niederwerder says. “Keep an eye on non-healing wounds or wounds that have a foul odor or bloody discharge.”

She says the animals often feel discomfort and pain due to this non-healing wound so they may isolate themselves and be off feed.

“It’s really important to stay vigilant as we think about increasing awareness and understanding of what the fly looks like,” Niederwerder says. “We also need to understand what the clinical signs may look like as the introduction and incursions in Mexico have increased the risk for the U.S., too.”

Although the cases in Mexico have been primarily cattle, she notes there have also been cases in pigs, horses, sheep, goats, dogs and even in humans in Mexico.

“We really don’t like to think about that human part of it,” Daly says. “I don’t want to downplay it, but in people, we would certainly know when we have an irritation or when a fly is on us. But we need to think about the people who potentially are debilitated and wouldn’t know they have a fly on them for a long period of time or that something’s wrong.”

Watch Out for the Unusual
Olivarez urges producers to call their veterinarian immediately if they suspect NWS. During the 1960s outbreak in the U.S., she says most ranchers first noticed it around the umbilical cords of newborn calves.

“It affected ranches the most, especially those that had cattle out on the range where you need manpower to monitor for open wounds, cuts or sores of any kind as well as cows with newborns since the fly will attack the umbilical cord,” Olivarez explains.

She says it’s not only important to monitor cattle but also pay attention to wildlife and pets that live on your property since they could indirectly bring NWS.

Daly challenges livestock producers to pay attention to unusual situations. If you have an animal that suddenly has a lot of necrotic tissue that fly larvae (maggots) are trying to clean up, Daly says that’s a sign producers need to take seriously.

(Lori Hays)

“If there isn’t a wound or a very good reason why there would be an infestation of those larvae that should tip off animal owners, caretakers and veterinarians,” Daly says. “There needs to be some sort of break in the skin to attract the NWS fly, but that something can be so minuscule you wouldn’t even notice it.”

He says it could be as small as a bug bite and is often so tiny producers don’t know how the initial entry even happened.

“NWS does its damage by burrowing into living tissue,” Daly explains. “But they can be drawn to the animal through secretions from that minor break in the skin, and then start to invade the living tissue as well. In addition, once the NWS sets up the wound and causes the infestation, normal blow flies then can come in and get in there, too.”

(Lori Hays)

The females lay their eggs very quickly, he adds. It doesn’t take long for the larvae to develop from there. He says the flies like to deposit their eggs on their “victims” in the afternoon.

“They choose this timing because when it cools off at night, it helps the development of the eggs into the larvae,” Daly says. “This all happens within 10 to 12 hours. If you have a fly that gets into a nick on a pig in the afternoon, for example, by next morning, there’s larvae starting to burrow in already.”

The fly has a lifespan of 28 days, Olivarez shared with followers of Texas Farm Bureau on TikTok.

@txfarmbureau Ever heard of the New World screwworm? South Texas rancher Lizeth Cuellar Olivarez breaks down why this tiny pest is a big problem for livestock. #texasfarmbureau #agtok #farmtok #fyp #screwworm ♬ original sound - texasfarmbureau

“During this time, NWS can lay eggs four times and lay 300 eggs each time,” Olivarez says. “If it goes untreated, after three weeks the larvae will fall and convert to a fly that then goes looking for another animal to attack.”

Treatment Tactics Aren’t Pretty
If an animal becomes infested with NWS, treatment is not easy or pleasant. The larvae have to be removed, Daly explains.

“NWS does respond to some insecticides that we would use for show pigs or horses during the summer to keep the flies off,” Daly adds. “But in order to get that animal healed up, the larvae have to be flushed out and removed by a veterinarian. These infestations can lead to secondary infections to worry about. And, if the infestation has gone deep enough, there could be severe muscle damage or damage to other organs that are beyond help.”

Treatment products need to be considered, adds Lisa Becton, assistant director of SHIC. Because of this, wound care is key during NWS infestation.

“If you have animals that have sores, it’s very important to treat that wound,” Becton says. “You may or may not be able to use a sealant, whether that’s iodine or antibacterial. Wound care is very important to help get a wound healing fast, even if you also have to use antimicrobials for an animal to help prevent other infection.”

It is treatable, but NWS is a painful event for animals and humans alike, Becton says. Rapid identification and action are critical.

Stay Alert, But Don’t Panic
Livestock trade and wildlife migrating due to different issues with climate and weather have helped move the infestation further north.

“The flies actually don’t fly that far,” he explains. “They typically fly less than 10 to 12 miles in their life span. So, they aren’t flying over on the wind and getting into these new places. It has more to do with animal movement.”

Fortunately, Daly says NWS is like any other fly in that they need somewhere to overwinter, so they won’t survive freezing temperatures. However, if they moved into this region in June or July, they would have a foothold until the frost.

“When we let our guard down and don’t look for it as much, or don’t use the sterile flies as often, that’s when things fire up again,” Daly says.

He says it’s not time to panic, but it’s important to be observant. The basics of good animal husbandry remain the most important thing for producers to focus on now.

“Sometimes it’s much easier said than done, especially in outdoor raising situations,” Daly says. “From fly control to monitoring animals, the best way to snuff something out like this quickly is good observation and animal care.”

Your Next Read: New World Screwworm: The Billion Dollar Battle at the Southern Border

Chinese Scientist Accused Of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:39:56 GMT

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

The charges against the pair were unsealed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office references Fusarium graminearum online as a “dangerous biological pathogen … which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium graminearum causes significant diseases in a number of U.S.-grown food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice.

Diseases caused include Fusarium head blight (scab) in wheat, and two corn diseases Gibberella ear rot and Gibberella stalk rot , which can lower yield and feed quality of silage corn, according to the Crop Protection Network, a partnership of land grant universities.

Toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage, reproductive defects and mycotoxin-induced immunosuppression in humans and livestock, including cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.

One Scientist Arrested, One Returned To China
The 25-page criminal complaint alleges Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DMA) in July 2024, so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked at the time.

Jian had been living in the U.S. and working at the university laboratory since 2022.

The roots of the case involving Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, stretch back to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

(The Detroit News and Sanilac County Jail)

According to the criminal complaint, Jian and Liu had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China.

Officials further allege Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jian, who was arrested by the FBI, remains in federal custody. On Thursday, her detention hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m. June 13 to allow time for a new defense attorney to get up to speed.

Liu was sent back to China last year after changing his story during an interrogation at the Detroit airport about red plant material discovered in a wad of tissues in his backpack, the FBI says.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,” the university added. “We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

(Michigan News Source)

Boyfriend Spills Intentions To Investigators
An article in The Detroit News said Liu told investigators during an interrogation at the Detroit airport he planned to clone the different strains and make additional samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed, according to the government.

“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” an FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”

Liu told investigators he planned on using UM’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory to research the biological materials, the FBI agent wrote.

“Liu stated that, while he was in the United States, he would have free access to the laboratory at the University of Michigan on some days, and that other days his girlfriend would give him access to the laboratory to conduct his research,” The Detroit News article reported.

Before preventing Liu from entering the U.S. and sending him back to China, the investigators found messages between the couple that indicate Jian previously smuggled biological material into the U.S., the FBI agent wrote.

The messages are from August 2022 and discuss smuggling seeds into the U.S.

Lawmakers Respond To The Criminal Complaint
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.”

“Thanks to the hard work of our excellent DOJ attorneys, this defendant — who clandestinely attempted to bring a destructive substance into the United States — will face years behind bars,” the attorney general says.

“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

(FBI)

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian late Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences … putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon says the criminal charges against Jian and Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate its agricultural economy and cause harm to humans.

“This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners,” says Raybon in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

Your next read: Surveillance State: Game Wardens Sued for Secret Private Land Intrusions in Alabama

Hungary Suggests 'Biological Attack' Could be Source of Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:35:24 GMT

Hungary on Thursday suggested a “biological attack” as a possible source of the country’s first foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in more than half a century, which has triggered border closures and the mass slaughter of cattle in the northwest.

Hungary reported a first case of foot-and-mouth disease in over 50 years on a cattle farm in the northwest near the border with Austria and Slovakia last month, the World Organisation for Animal Health said, citing Hungarian authorities.

Animal health authorities had made checks at nearly 1,000 farms across Hungary by Thursday, with only four in the affected northwestern region returning positive results.

“At this stage, we can say that it cannot be ruled out that the virus was not of natural origin, we may be dealing with an artificially engineered virus,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas told a media briefing.

Responding to a question, Gulyas said he could not rule out that the virus outbreak was the result of a biological attack, without giving information on who might be responsible.

He also said that suspicion was based on verbal information received from a foreign laboratory and that their findings have not yet been fully proven and documented.

Hungary’s cattle stock numbered 861,000 head based on a livestock census in December, little changed from levels a year earlier. That constituted 1.2% of the European Union’s total cattle stocks, official statistics showed.

Foot-and-mouth disease poses no danger to humans but causes fever and mouth blisters in cloven-hoofed ruminants such as cattle, swine, sheep and goats, and outbreaks often lead to trade restrictions.

Thousands of cattle had to be culled as the landlocked country tried to contain the outbreak, while Austria and Slovakia have closed dozens of border crossings, after the disease also appeared in the southern part of Slovakia.

“Everyone was just standing there, crying and saying that this cannot be true, that this was impossible,” said Paul Meixner, an Austrian-Hungarian dual citizen, who owns of one of the affected farms in Hungary.

While his business has taken a 1.5 billion forint ($4.09 million) loss after culling 3,000 cattle and other livestock, Meixner has vowed to rebuild.

“In two weeks, we will start harvesting and storing the hay,” he said. “We need the fodder for next year.”

Your Next Read: What Do Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks in Europe Mean for the U.S.?

6 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Wildlife Biosecurity Breaches

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 22:37:09 GMT

Wildlife serve an important purpose, but they can also be a major threat to livestock. It’s not possible to keep all wildlife out, but steps can be taken to decrease their activity. Before taking any action, make sure that the wildlife you want to control are not endangered, threatened or protected in your area.

One way you can keep unwanted visitors out is by buttoning up your biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases and pathogens.

1. Compromised exclusion
When damage occurs to barriers you put up to keep birds away, that can actually create more habitat. Now birds can get in and get behind the barrier which serves as the perfect protection from predators. Nests of wild birds are an indicator that birds are using your Line of Separation for housing.

Robin nest on barn ledge.

(USDA Wildlife Services)

2. Breaches in the foundation
Keep buildings and fences in good repair. Seal holes where wildlife can enter. Anything over 1 square inch is possible for a house sparrow to get into. Repair screens and doors and replace rotting or damaged wood. Nests of wild birds are an indicator that birds are using your Line of Separation for housing.

3. Holes/construction issues
Repair holes in buildings or barns to prevent entry. Regularly check and repair damaged screens on windows and doors

4. Spilled feed
Remove excess feed and feed spills as these can attract bird flocks. It’s not uncommon for birds to defecate while eating. This becomes an opportunity for mice and other rodents to eat the spilled feed and bird poop before heading back into the barn. Keep a broom and lidded garbage container at every feed storage area for quick cleanups.

Feed spillage

(USDA Wildlife Services)

5. Standing water
The virus itself can live in water for months if it’s cold. If you see water, consider it positive for virus. Don’t walk or move equipment through or near standing water— this could track wildlife feces or other contaminants with the virus into your barns.

6. Clutter and tree management
Clutter and trees around the farm provide the perfect habitat for birds and other wildlife to find refuge. Reduce natural food sources by removing fallen fruit and mowing grass often.

Your Next Read: Don’t Be Deceived: Wildlife Pose Serious Threat to Livestock Producers

What Do Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks in Europe Mean for the U.S.?

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 16:58:21 GMT

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is rearing its ugly head in Europe. After an outbreak in water buffalo in Germany in January, an outbreak in cattle in Hungary in early March and an outbreak in cattle in Slovakia last week, why now? What is the U.S. doing to keep this foreign animal disease out and protect the country’s livestock industry?

“FMD is caused by a virus that affects cloven-hoofed animals so that can include cattle, pigs, sheep and goats,” explains Megan Niederwerder, DVM, who serves as the executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC). “It does not affect humans and is not a threat to food safety, but it has significant trade implications once it is introduced into a country.”

FMD has been fairly quiet in these European countries – with no cases reported for decades. Other parts of Europe have seen outbreaks more recently like the 2001 outbreak in the United Kingdom that caused a crisis in British agriculture and tourism and resulted in the cancellation of the World Pork Expo held in Des Moines, Iowa.

“FMD really decimated the United Kingdom,” says Barb Determan who was serving as president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) at the time. “It became very apparent that we couldn’t guarantee the safety for our U.S. pig herd because of the high numbers of international travelers that would be at the show. We had to cancel World Pork Expo out of an abundance of precaution.”

Although there is still a lot to be discovered about how FMD was introduced into these populations, it’s a significant warning to the U.S. to be on alert.

(Lori Hays)

That was the first time, but not the only time World Pork Expo was canceled. The event was also canceled in 2019 because of the African swine fever outbreak in China and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That was a hard financial decision,” Determan says. “We had just completed the separation agreement between NPPC and the National Pork Board. NPPC was very tightly budgeted at that time, so it was a huge hit.”

However, keeping the U.S. pig herd safe was the most important thing on everyone’s mind. She says they made their decision after hearing reports from veterinarians who had been to England to better understand the extensiveness as well as from the USDA that had sent veterinarians over to help.

“At that time, we didn’t have near the biosecurity practices and things that we do now with the disinfectant foot mats,” Determan says. “We also don’t have live pigs on the on the grounds now compared to how we did things many years ago. We used to have live pigs everywhere on the fairgrounds in the early 2000s from genetics companies with pigs in their displays to the pigs in the live shows.”

The Truth About FMD
The clinical signs of FMD are similar to what the name implies. It can cause vesicles or blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue of animals that are infected. The U.S. has not had a case of FMD since 1929.

“We certainly want to keep it that way, as the economic implications for producers are significant if the virus is introduced,” Niederwerder says.

Compared to many viruses, FMD is a highly stable, non-enveloped virus that allows it to be infectious for longer periods. It’s very contagious and highly transmissible. Not only are there risks with transmission of the virus through infected meat products that may come in through illegal trade, but it can also be carried on contaminated clothes or equipment or supplies of humans.

“The human would not be infected, but certainly people can carry the virus on contaminated clothing,” Niederwerder says. “That’s why it’s really important as we think about prevention of entry into the U.S.”

FMD causes fever and pain. It results in excessive salivation and causes reduced milk production in dairy cattle.

“When you think about the impact, certainly there’s an impact on animal health with regards to the clinical signs, but even further is this impact on trade restrictions and the economic losses for producers,” Niederwerder says. “When you try and contain the virus, that oftentimes results in those infected animals being culled or euthanized so the disease no longer has the chance to spread.”

Why Should the U.S. Pay Attention?
When a virus moves into a new geographical range or is reintroduced into a country that has maintained a negative status for a long period, Niederwerder says it’s critical to reassess the risk to the U.S.

“In January, Germany reported their first case in over 30 years in water buffalo near Berlin,” she explains. “It was 14 animals, and those animals were all culled after the infection was confirmed but certainly trade restrictions and implications on surrounding areas of that Berlin farm were significant.”

Fast forward to March when two additional countries have reported cases. Hungary reported FMD in a single farm of cattle in the north part of the country for the first time in over 50 years. Shortly thereafter, the virus appeared in Slovakia (who also hadn’t seen a case in over 50 years) in multiple herds of cattle.

“Just recently, another herd was a suspect herd in Slovakia, near the southern border near Hungary,” Niederwerder says. “This is certainly concerning about how this virus is being reintroduced. Is it associated with contaminated fomites that may be in the country or traveling to new locations? Is it associated with wild boar? Could it be associated with infected hay?”

Although there is still a lot to be discovered about how FMD was introduced into these populations, it’s a significant warning to the U.S. to be on alert .

“We need to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t get reintroduced into the U.S.,” Niederwerder says. “How can we amp up any biosecurity measures that are necessary to reduce our risk? We also need to think about reducing the risk of introduction into our country through travel and illegal trade.”

Be on Alert
Livestock operations should reevaluate biosecurity protocols. If any of your farm’s employees travel to areas where there are infected animals, implement a quarantine period for entry back into your U.S. farm, she advises.

“Be vigilant,” Niederwerder urges. “One of the challenges of FMD is that it does cause these characteristic lesions of vesicles or blisters on the mouth, nose or the hoof. What becomes very tricky is that those clinical signs are indistinguishable from other vesicular diseases such as Senecavirus A. If producers and veterinarians see these lesions, they must report it immediately so it can be investigated and confirmed that it is not FMD virus.”

FMD is not just a disease of pigs and cattle, she points out. Sheep, goats and cloven-hoofed zoo animals may also be impacted by FMD. This increases the breadth of what the industry needs to monitor.

“The world is very small now,” Niederwerder says. “Not only do people travel more internationally, but animals move around more than ever, too. It’s extremely important for those of us that are producers to keep our eyes open and pay attention to what’s going on worldwide so we can be as prepared as possible for any change in disease risk.”

That’s one of the ways that SHIC is trying to help producers. SHIC provides timely domestic and global disease updates to producers.

“Watching the SHIC global disease report is really important for producers,” Determan says. “It comes out every month and really gives you a feel for what’s happening in the entire world from a swine health standpoint. The biggest lesson we learned from the 2001 FMD outbreak is that looking farther out than just our own farm gate is so important.”

Keep Reading:
An Update on Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O in Germany

Hungary Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Cattle

Slovakia Records First Foot-and-Mouth Cases, Minister Says

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.

Hungary Confirms Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Cattle

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 22:43:19 GMT

Hungary reported its first case of foot-and-mouth disease in more than 50 years, on a cattle farm in the northwest of the country, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said, citing Hungarian authorities on March 7.

According to WOAH, the outbreak, discovered in the city of Gyor, is the first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak reported since 1973. The case was found on a 1,400-strong cattle farm on the border with Slovakia, Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) reported on Friday .

The farm showed classic symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease at the beginning of March, the report says.

“The presence of the pathogen was confirmed by the Nébih laboratory, which is why Dr. Szabolcs Pásztor, the national chief veterinarian, immediately ordered the closure of the farm and the initiation of an epidemiological investigation,” the report says. " In order to prevent the further spread of the disease, extremely strict official measures will be implemented, including a ban on the transport of susceptible live animal species.”

On Jan. 10, Germany confirmed its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease since 1988. The outbreak was detected in a herd of water buffalo in the Märkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg, near Berlin.

“The confirmation of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle in Hungary comes less than two months after the virus was found in water buffalo in Germany,” the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) said in a statement. “Hungary does not share a border with Germany; FMD-affected animals are approximately 475 miles apart.”

FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Not only is it highly contagious, but it also causes severe symptoms, including fever, painful blisters, reduced milk production and significant economic losses for farmers.

FMD poses no direct health risk to humans, but it’s important to note that they can act as carriers of the virus via contaminated clothing, shoes or equipment.

Your Next Read: An Update on Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O in Germany

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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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.

An Update on Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O in Germany

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:29:28 GMT

On Jan. 10, Germany confirmed its first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) since 1988. The outbreak was detected in a herd of water buffalo in the Märkisch-Oderland district of Brandenburg, near Berlin.

“Water buffalo, introduced to Germany in the 1990s, are farmed for milk, meat, and grassland maintenance,” according to a summary by the team at the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) . They prepared a summary of the current FMDV situation in Germany for the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) as part of the SHIC Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports.

Here are some key points:

Within the affected water buffalo herd, three infected buffalo died and the remaining herd of 11 animals was euthanized to contain the disease.
Authorities have implemented strict control measures, including the establishment of a 3 km exclusion zone and a 10 km monitoring zone, and are conducting investigations to determine the source and route of the infection.
Immediate actions included culling all susceptible animals within a 1 km radius, including a farm with 170 pigs and another location with 55 goats, sheep, and three cattle as a precaution.
A transport ban for livestock was imposed across Brandenburg and later extended to Berlin, lasting at least 72 hours.
Sampling of animals within a 3 km radius is ongoing to assess the outbreak’s spread.

Serotype O
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) identified the FMD virus as serotype O, a strain commonly found in the Middle East and Asia. Although, the exact route of entry remains unclear, the report says.

“The affected farm operates organically, using only its own hay for feed. The outbreak highlights the ongoing risk of FMD introduction into the EU through illegal trade and travel-related movement of animal products from FMD-endemic regions,” the report explains.

Germany, previously recognized as FMD-free along with the EU, has lost its status, triggering trade restrictions. Because of this, South Korea banned the import of German pork and quarantined 360 tons imported since December 27 for testing.

At the Green Week Agricultural Fair in Berlin, cloven-hoofed animals were excluded to mitigate risks.
In the Netherlands, 125 farms that recently imported calves from Brandenburg were ordered to suspend operations, and a nationwide standstill on calf transport was implemented until January 19.
Veal calf imports from Brandenburg were also banned.
Export to countries within the European Union’s single market is still possible for products that originate outside the restricted zones, under the principle of regionalization.

Germany’s FMD antigen bank, established for emergencies like this, holds serotype-specific vaccines and can produce them within days, the report says. Vaccines must be tailored precisely to the specific serotypen because vaccines against other strains are ineffective.

FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. Not only is it highly contagious, but it also causes severe symptoms, including fever, painful blisters, reduced milk production and significant economic losses for farmers.

FMD poses no direct health risk to humans, but it’s important to note that they can act as carriers of the virus via contaminated clothing, shoes or equipment.

“Past outbreaks in Europe, such as those in the UK (2007) and Bulgaria (2011), resulted in extensive culling of livestock to control the disease,” the report says. “The current outbreak underscores the importance of biosecurity measures, rapid response and vigilance to protect agriculture and livestock from this economically devastating disease.”

Summary of New FMDV Strains into New Territories (2022 to date):

2022
Egypt: South American strains A/EURO-SA, and O/EURO-SA, were isolated from a batch of Egyptian samples tested by the World Reference Laboratory (WRLFMD).

Libya: FMD virus O/EA-3, a strain from East Africa was detected.

Iraq: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, closely related to viruses from Ethiopia was detected. It was observed to cause more severe clinical disease.

Jordan: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, closely related to viruses from Ethiopia was reported in the country.

Türkiye: FMD virus SAT2/XIV, was reported for the first time.

2023
Qatar: FMDV SAT1/I topotype, a virus with close sequence identity to a virus from Kenya was reported for the first time.

Algeria: Virus of the SAT2 topotype (SAT2/V) detected for the first time. Viruses from this lineage were last found in Ghana (1991), Togo (1990) and Ivory Coast (1990).

2024
Libya: A new incursion of FMDV O/EA-3 which is endemic to East Africa

Türkiye: Re-emergence of a virus strain originally from Iran, FMDV A/ASIA/Iran-05FAR-11

2025
Germany: Recurrence of FMD after 37 years. The National Reference Laboratory at the FLI confirmed the virus Serotype as type O, although the virus strain, origin, and route of entry into Germany are yet to be determined.

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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.

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Preempting African Swine Fever in Texas with Research

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:02:00 GMT

By Gabe Saldana

As feral hog populations increase in Texas and the U.S., they create desirable conditions for disease-carrying ticks and increase the risk for an outbreak of African swine fever virus, ASFV.

To ensure the devastating ASFV stays out of Texas and the Southern U.S., a multi-institution research project led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research will assess the potential, or vector competency, of a southern Ornithodoros turicata tick to transmit the disease.

The nearly $1.5 million project is supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate through Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense, CBTS, a DHS Center of Excellence within AgriLife Research.

Results from the project will fill critical knowledge gaps in the vector competency of ticks in the U.S. It will be an early key step toward research-based solutions that keep Texas and the Southern U.S. free of ASFV.

Assessing tick vector competency for ASFV transmission in Texas
“These ticks are in several southern states and are common in Texas,” said Meriam Saleh, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Saleh is the project’s principal investigator.

“Laboratory studies using a subspecies of these ticks, which originated in Florida, demonstrated high vector competency for ASFV to pigs,” she said. “Our research aims to confirm whether the Texas ticks carry the same ability to transmit the disease.”

Dee Ellis, DVM, AgriLife Research veterinarian within the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology., and Scott Kenney, Ph.D., of Ohio State University, join Saleh as co-principal investigators.

The team will evaluate the biology and transmissibility of different ASFV strains and genotypes in ticks. They will determine the ability of other species to host or spread ASFV from ticks in the U.S.

Preempting an outbreak with research
African swine fever, as its name suggests, is a tick-borne DNA virus originating in Africa, where Ornithodoros moubata ticks persist in a continuous cycle with wild warthogs.

In Texas, unique challenges come from a host of issues: the presence of potential tick vectors, the expanding feral swine population, expansive suitable habitat for ticks and feral swine, commercial swine operations and the U.S. border with Mexico among others.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service estimates that an ASFV outbreak in the U.S. would devastate the U.S. pork industry with a 50% drop in hog prices, a halt in pork and pork product exports, as well as significant job losses and culling of the animals.

In Texas, according to the Texas Pork Producers Association, feral pigs outnumber domestic swine at least 3-to-1.

Adult ticks have been documented to live for years between feedings. Several species of Ornithodoros ticks in North America have demonstrated African swine fever transmission to swine in laboratory settings.

“Leading-edge discoveries and innovation will be the keys to staying ahead of ASFV for Texas and the Southern U.S.,” said Heather Manley Lillibridge, Ph.D., executive director of CBTS. “Collaborations across multiple institutions provide us with the resources and expertise for continued success.”

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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 .
___________________________________________________________________________
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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