Biosecurity

Officials have confirmed the first case of highly pathogenic avian flu in a Wisconsin dairy herd.

“We typically don’t see avian influenza until January or February,” says Rebecca Eifert Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association. “This year we started October 9.”

Identifying the flesh-eating parasite, which actually isn’t a worm, is key to keeping it out of the U.S. Recognizing a problem in an animal might come down to seeing a larval infestation in unusual circumstances.

A 25-page criminal complaint alleges the researcher and her boyfriend were attempting to bring Fusarium graminearum into the country. The fungus causes significant diseases in a number of food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice. Toxins from the fungus are harmful to humans and livestock.

The plan, announced by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, dedicates up to $500 million to help poultry producers implement biosecurity measures and up to $400 million in financial relief for farmers whose flocks are affected by avian flu.

Bird flu has infected three more people from Washington state after they were exposed to poultry that tested positive for the virus, according to health authorities in Washington and in Oregon, where the human cases were identified.

In a special report of The PORK Podcast, Andrew Bowman, DVM, tackles some of host Jennifer Shike’s questions about USDA’s announcement that H5N1 was discovered in a pig for the first time ever.

USDA announced on Oct. 30 the first reported case of H5N1 in a pig in an Oregon backyard farm.