Diseases

First Case of Avian Flu Detected in Wisconsin Dairy Herd

Sun, 14 Dec 2025 20:27:43 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:

5 Livestock Diseases That Could Impact U.S. Food Security and Economic Stability

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT

Production animal disease outbreaks are not only animal health events but threats to economic stability and food security. A new report from The Farm Journal Foundation , The Mean Sixteen: Biosecurity Threats Facing U.S. Agriculture, estimates the collective annual costs to U.S. agriculture due to outbreaks of the top five livestock diseases could top $300 billion without proper preparation.

“It is absolutely crucial that the U.S. should support mechanisms to protect farmers from risks and make sure that our food supply chain can remain resilient even when challenges occur,” wrote Stephanie Mercier, senior policy adviser at Farm Journal Foundation.

Mercier identifies five diseases with the potential to disrupt U.S. livestock production, trade and response infrastructure at scale. These include foreign animal diseases as well as ongoing threats:

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
African swine fever (ASF)
New World screwworm (NWS)
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)

Foot-and-Mouth Disease: Trade-Stopping Risk to U.S. Livestock

Foot-and-mouth disease, an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease affecting a range of ungulates, remains one of the highest-impact foreign animal disease threats to U.S. agriculture. While the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are classified as FMD-free, outbreaks in Taiwan (1997), the United Kingdom (2001), and this year in Germany and Hungary, represent how relevant this disease remains as both an animal health and economic threat.

Modern production systems characterized by high animal density and frequent interstate movement would complicate containment efforts in case of an outbreak. In 2015, a report from Kansas State University found an FMD outbreak beginning in a U.S. state with high populations of vulnerable livestock could cost nearly $200 billion to the U.S. economy if no emergency vaccine program was implemented.

A 2018 provision to the farm bill mandated the establishment of an animal vaccine bank; FMD was chosen as the first disease for vaccine stockpile. While FMD vaccines reduce an animal’s chance of being infected, they are generally not administerd in FMD-free regions as it is difficult to distinguish between vaccinated and FMD-infected animals in a clinical setting. Further, World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) protocols allow for trade bans to be imposed on countries using these vaccines.

African Swine Fever: Persistent Threat to U.S. Pork Production

African swine fever has expanded globally over the past decade and remains one of the most significant threats to the U.S. swine industry causing hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates. In 2018, a massive ASF outbreak in China resulted in the loss of half of the country’s swine herd, approximately 225 million animals, and cost the country’s economy around $111 billion. Since then, ASF cases have been reported in countries across much of Asia and Europe .

(Farm Journal Foundation)

It has been estimated an ASF outbreak in the U.S. would cost the economy nearly $80 billion, due to loss of exports and reduced industry revenue, but could also affect the crop sector due to decreased feed demand. The extensive feral hog population across much of the country would further complicate containment efforts.

There is no globally available ASF vaccine; however, in May 2025, the WOAH adopted their first international standard for ASF vaccines . This was followed by the release of field evaluation and post-vaccination monitoring standards in July.

New World Screwworm: Reintroduction Risk and Surveillance Dependence

The NWS fly lays eggs in an animal’s skin, often at wound sites, and the hatched larvae burrow into the animal, consuming the flesh. Prior to 2025, NWS had been largely absent in the Western Hemisphere north of Panama; however, since the beginning of the year, outbreaks have been creeping northward, with most recent detection being just 120 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The USDA estimates that if NWS were to cross the border into Texas, it could cost the state’s economy at least $1.8 billion while putting the rest of the U.S. beef sector at risk. In an effort to tackle this threat, the USDA announced a five-pronged plan to combat the pest including sterile fly production, closing of the U.S.-Mexico border to cattle trade and increased communication with state animal health officials.

The same sterile male fly technique that eradicated the pest in the U.S in 1966 is being applied for the current outbreak, with sterile fly production facilities open in Tampico, Mexico and opening in Edinburg, Texas .

While no NWS cases have been detected in the U.S. yet, the fly is still having an impact on the economy. With the U.S.-Mexico border closed to cattle imports , the already reduced U.S. cattle herd could shrink even further. With strong demand supporting U.S. beef prices, Omaha Steaks CEO Nate Rempe predicts ground beef prices could reach $10 per pound by the third quarter of 2026.

(Farm Journal Foundation)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: An Ongoing Multispecies Challenge

Highly pathogenic avian influenza remains an evolving threat to U.S. animal agriculture. Twice in the past decade, major outbreaks in the U.S. have devastated poultry operations with losses of over 50 million commercial birds from 2014 to 2015. The latest HPAI outbreak began in 2022 and has since been detected in flocks in all 50 states resulting in an estimated loss of 169 million birds as of April 2025.

(Farm Journal Foundation)

HPAI is a zoonotic disease with reported infections in humans, hogs, cats and dogs. In March 2024, HPAI was detected in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas. Since then, HPAI outbreaks have been confirmed in over 300 dairy herds across the U.S. in 14 different states.

The 2014 to 2015 HPAI outbreak is estimated to have cost U.S. agriculture over $1 billion when accounting for losses to both the poultry and animal feed sectors, as well as losses in land value. Both this outbreak and the subsequent 2024-25 outbreak caused significant spikes in egg prices, with March 2025 prices rising to 350% of those of the previous year. U.S. milk prices have not yet been affected by the outbreak.

(Farm Journal Foundation)

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome: Endemic Disease, National Cost

The infection of hogs by PRRS has had a significant impact on the U.S. pork industry. First detected in the U.S. in 1987, PRRS infection causes pregnancy loss in sows and respiratory problems in pigs of all ages leading to poor performance. Unlike other animal diseases, PRRS infection can go undetected until issues with pregnant sows occur.

Analysis from Iowa State University shows PRRS caused an estimated $1.2 billion per year in lost production in the U.S. swine industry from 2016 to 2020. This marks an 80% increase over numbers reported a decade earlier.

With no cure at present, disease impact is minimized through biosecurity practices, vaccinations and management of infection with antibiotics. In April 2025, FDA granted PIC approval for the gene edit used in its PRRS-resistant pig. This technology could have a large impact on animal welfare, production costs and pork prices if adopted, though any impact is likely many years out.

Policy and Preparedness Implications for U.S. Animal Health

Across these diseases, the report identifies recurring gaps in U.S. animal health preparedness that extend beyond individual pathogens and suggests some key policy and infrastructure needs to help mitigate these threat risks:

Improved national biosecurity coordination including culling guidelines
Training for veterinarians for outbreak identification and reporting
Support for vaccine stockpiling programs and prioritized regulatory approvals for prevention and treatment products
Increased research support for both international collaboration and domestic work on biological control techniques of pests and pathogens, and disease-resistant genetic traits

“Investing in agricultural research, development and the long-term viability of our food supply chain is critical for protecting our national security and economy, and we are hopeful that our nation’s leaders will rise to meet this challenge before it’s too late,” Mercier writes.

The Farm Journal Foundation is a farmer-centered, non-profit, nonpartisan organization, created by Farm Journal in 2010, working to advance agriculture innovation, food and nutrition security, conservation and rural economic development.

Southern Rust: Coming to a Field Near You?

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 19:21:56 GMT

It’s a corn disease issue creeping north and infiltrating fields earlier than it has in the past and one that thrives in high heat and humidity. With increasing reports of southern rust now being found as far north as Iowa , agronomists are encouraging farmers to scout early and often.

Southern rust is a fungal disease that affects corn crops. It’s trademark is small, orange-colored spots that look like rust.

And as Farm Journal’s Rhonda Brooks reported last week , southern rust can be difficult to distinguish from common rust .

The spots erupt on the upper surface of corn leaves. The disease likes warm and humid conditions, and once it spreads, it can be a major hit to yield, especially if it develops during the critical period of kernel development.

According to Crop Protection Network, southern rust was first reported in Florida and Georgia in mid-June, but the disease has quickly made its way to the Midwest. While the disease has been reported in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, southern Texas, it’s now been reported in a number of counties across the South and Midwest, including:

Arkansas: eight counties
Illinois: eight counties
Indiana: two counties confirmed, but three counties listed as probably cases
Iowa: 30 counties
Kansas: 16 counties
Kentucky: eight counties
Missouri: 12 counties
Nebraska: 27 counties
Oklahoma: three counties

“In addition to tar spot, there’s also been some reports of southern rust, depending on which area you’re in, as that stuff has blown up more from the south,” Missy Bauer told Farm Journal’s Rhonda Brooks during Corn College this week. “If the environment’s conducive for these things to continue, we could see some pretty big disease issues across the Corn Belt this year. We want to be prepared and make sure you’ve got plans in place to deal with this potential disease pressure.”

Dan Quinn, who is an assistant professor of agronomy and Extension corn specialist at Purdue University, says southern rust has been confirmed in southern Indiana, but he has also detected it in northern Indiana, which is early.

“We always track its movement from the south,” Quinn says. “That’s the key. Southern rust in a state like Indiana, we kind of get a clean slate every year. Tarspot is always here, it kind of hangs around, but southern rust we really have to track its movement as it moved up from the South.”

Quinn says Kentucky recently confirmed the disease, and then it appeared in Indiana.

“The thing with southern rust is, one, make sure it is southern rust. So we do have a lot of leaf rust out there. It’s always good to, you know, a lot of universities have diagnostic labs that can confirm that for you. So, first make that it is truly southern rust, but also be mindful of managing it. When it comes in this early, it can impact that crop pretty significantly. So a lot those areas are looking at a fungicide management for that disease.”

He says in his experience, southern rust can take 10% to 20% off yield.

“It’s like tar spot tar spot where I’ve seen 40% to 50% yield reductions. So any of those diseases that impact that green leaf area of that plant and really start to move into the ear, leaf and into the upper canopy, can have pretty severe impacts on yield.”

Quinn’s advice for farmers is to pay attention to where it’s moving. Farmers can track the disease here.

He says farmers need to pay attention to that map daily, which is tracked county by county, to see where the disease has popped up, but also be mindful of weather conditions.

Other advice for farmers includes:

1. Scout fields thoroughly and frequently

Southern rust can spread rapidly under favorable conditions (high temperatures and humidity), so early detection is critical
Inspect fields often, especially those that are late-planted or in low-lying areas, where humidity and moisture tend to linger
Focus on the upper leaves, looking for small, circular, light orange to cinnamon-colored pustules, primarily on the upper surface
Consult resources like the Corn ipmPIPE tool to monitor the disease’s progression in the region

2. Differentiate southern rust from common rust

While symptoms can be similar, common rust is generally less aggressive and causes less yield loss
Southern rust pustules are typically circular or oval, light cinnamon to orange, and primarily found on the upper leaf surfaces, while common rust pustules are more elongated, dark brown and can be found on both upper and lower leaf surfaces
The spores of southern rust will easily rub off on your fingers, unlike tar spot, which is a different disease that can initially look similar to southern rust

3. Consider fungicide application

If Southern rust is detected on multiple plants during the early dent stage or earlier, and hot, humid conditions are expected, a fungicide application might be warranted
Fungicide applications are most effective when applied at the onset of the disease and can help prevent further spread
The optimal timing for fungicide application is generally between the R1 (silking) and R3 (milk) growth stages of corn development
If conditions remain favorable for disease development, a second fungicide application might be necessary, especially for late-planted fields

4. Monitor stalk quality and consider early harvest

Southern rust can weaken stalks and increase susceptibility to stalk rot, potentially leading to lodging and harvest losses
As corn maturity progresses, regularly check stalks for signs of deterioration

The Smell You'll Never Forget: A Calf Infested with New World Screwworm

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 16:41:22 GMT

“The stench…it’s like roadkill stewed in infection,” explains Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa, a cattle producer from Chiriqui, Panama, describing an animal that has been infected with New World screwworm (NWS). “You’ll smell it before you see it.”

He goes on to describe the appearance. “That little dehorning scrape you didn’t worry about? Now, it’s a fist-sized hole pulsating with maggots. Not on top, under the skin. Hundreds of cream-colored worms with screw-like spines, eating your cow alive.”

It’s a Plague in Panama

Gallardo is a Panamanian livestock production specialist and animal science professional with a diverse and practical background in cattle production, agricultural policy and international ranch management. He currently serves as the technical assistance team manager at Cooleche, R.L., where he leads strategic initiatives in cattle production and technical outreach.

“⁠This ain’t ‘just flies.’ We’ve buried calves eaten alive in 48 hours,” Gallardo stresses. “Post-calving cows are sitting ducks, I found one last week with maggots deep in her vulva, she was trembling as she tried to nurse her calf.”

An animal health professional treating an animal in Panama that has been infected by New World Screwworm.

(Jose Santiago Gallardo Espinosa)

To catch NWS and stop the spread, Espinosa encourages daily wound checks including navels on newborns, vulvas on fresh cows, sheaths on bulls, branding cuts and tagging nicks. Some red flags include a wound that swells overnight or oozes cloudy fluid and a milk tank mysteriously dropping.

“Treat every scratch like a ticking bomb,” he says adding if you find one with a wound acting a little strange, you should “peel back skin edges, and if you see rice-grain maggots with dark spines — sound the alarm.”

He says more than 6,500 cases have erupted across Panama, marching north through Central America like a plague.

“For years, our U.S.-Panama barrier kept NWS at bay,” Gallardo says. “We’d see maybe 25 cases a year — it was a nuisance, not a crisis. Then 2023 hit, and overnight our pastures became war zones.”

He says the reality in Panama is rainy season is maggot season.

“Here, in Chiriquí’s dairy country, it is the perfect storm,” he says. “Rainy season humidity of 90%, 85°F heat and flies everywhere. A single-infected cow bleeds $10/day in lost milk — its life or death for small dairies.”

NWS in Nicaragua

Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez, an agronomist from Camoapa, Nicaragua, says NWS was eradicated from Nicaragua in the 1990s. He says he first encountered it during an internship in Brazil where he experienced the serious challenge the fly causes.

“When cases began appearing here again last year, I was able to use what I learned in Brazil to prepare veterinary supplies and train people on prevention and treatment,” he explains.

(Ernesto José Sequeira Enríquez)

He says it’s essential to enforce a daily inspection routine, checking every animal carefully for open wounds.

“When you find an infected animal, you’ll typically see a bleeding wound,” Sequeira says. “If the infestation has progressed, there will be a strong, foul smell due to tissue damage and the presence of larvae.”

He encourages U.S. producers to be prepared with sufficient supplies of veterinary medicines and insecticides for both treatment and prevention and to adjust management practices to reduce risk. For example:

When dehorning, branding or ear tagging, apply insecticide spray to the wound immediately.
Ensure proper care of newborn calves by disinfecting the navel with iodine solution as soon as possible, since that is the most common entry point for infestation.

“Although complete control of screwworm is not possible, taking preventive measures significantly reduces the economic and productivity impact of it,” he says. “Early detection and consistent preventive practices are critical to minimizing losses.”
Sequeira stresses a producer’s eyes and hands are their best tools to fight NSW.

“My warning to U.S. ranchers is this isn’t just a Panama problem,” he summarizes. “Newborn calves are maggot magnets. If you lose one calf to a navel infestation, you’ll never sleep again. Make inspections sacred — no excuses. Report fast and hide nothing.”

It’s Endemic in Brazil

Marcelo Costa is a veterinarian, professor and cattle business consultant in Brazil and Paraguay. In 1999, Costa was taught embryo transfer at Camp Cooley in Franklin, Texas. He then returned to his family’s third generation ranching operation where they started Camp Cooley Brazil.

“I have been dealing with screwworm all my life since it is endemic in Brazil,” Costa says. “Screwworm-infected animals happen all months of the year.”

A wound in the animal skin full of screwworm and new fly eggs in the skin borderline

(Marcelo Costa)

Like others, he has experienced finding infected animals with bleeding, foul-smelling wounds. He says animals show discomfort and may not follow the herd as normal.

“Newborn calves are usually the more attacked category because of the navel’s wet and bloody tissue,” he says. “If a screwworm infects the navel, it may open a door at the site for more severe infections that may cause diarrhea, pneumonia and other diseases.”

Costa stresses how much NWS costs producers beyond animal loss and decreased productivity.

“One of the biggest problems with NWS is the increased labor with vigilance and animal treatment,” he summarizes.

Guatemala Producers Are Learning to Cope with NWS

“Screwworm came to teach us the times are changing, and that any type of production is possible and open to any complication,” says Oscar León, a livestock production specialist and agricultural business administrator from Guatemala City, Guatemala. “Brazil learned how to cope with it, and Guatemala is in the process of it. The U.S. is not exempt from it, unfortunately. But with the adequate measures and prevention techniques, one can learn and teach others. We can make the impact less harmful on our production and wallets.”

(Oscar León)

León currently manages his family’s cattle operations and leads LAVAT S.A., a company that imports and distributes innovative animal health and nutrition products tailored to the needs of the Guatemalan livestock sector.

He explains it is important for producers to look for and treat any open wound or bruise as they are the first indicators.

“If an open wound smells like the scent of rotten meat, you will find the presence of screwworms feeding off live tissue,” he says. “Prevention and early timing are the best ways to treat screwworm. Make sure to take your time, observe your cattle, search for a bruise or wounds and treat them properly.”

He also stresses the importance of making sure everyone who works in the farm or ranch is aware of NWS and knows how to react if an infection is found.

Educating U.S. Producers

Chris Womack, a veterinarian and rancher from San Angelo, Texas, says he remembers helping his dad treat calves with NWS infestations.

“I can still remember the smell,” Womack says. “I thought it was cool because I was a little kid, and we dug maggots out of the calves. I can still smell it like it was yesterday, and it was horrible to look at them.”

Womack shares a historic context of NWS, which he says means “man-eater,” on the “Registered Ranching” podcast with Tucker Brown.

Womack also describes the emotional toll on the producer when faced with NWS.

“If you’re a steward of an animal and it has half of its head rotting off, or its abdomen is a gaping wound because the maggots are eating it up, or it gets in their ear and they’re walking around in circles with brain damage because they got meningitis, well, it’s devastating.”

Womack summarizes NWS isn’t just an agricultural issue, it’s a human health concern. Historical accounts and recent data from Panama show NWS can affect humans, particularly vulnerable populations like homeless individuals or those in areas with limited medical access.

Womack says the experiences with NWS during his childhood is the reason he is a veterinarian today. He says there is a generational ignorance in the U.S. regarding NWS, and that is something he is committed to fixing.

“The only way we can overcome ignorance is education,” he stresses.

Your Next Read: Breaking: Mexican Border Closed Again as New World Screwworm Comes Within 370 Miles of the U.S.

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

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

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:27:59 GMT

Nearly 60 years ago, the U.S. eradicated New World screwworm (NWS). Today, the risk of reintroduction is real. So real that Ethan Lane with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says it’s not a matter of if NWS will reach the U.S. but when.

“We need to spend $300 million now to save us $8 billion down the line in eradication costs,” says Lane, who serves as the senior vice president of government affairs. “This is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s going to take years to re-eradicate New World Screwworm and push it back to Panama.”

As the fight to keep NWS out of the U.S. ramps up, the economic impact on ranchers and the industry is top of mind.

“Successfully eradicating New World screwworm from the U.S. in 1966 cost stakeholders’ tens of millions of dollars,” says TR Lansford III, DVM, deputy executive director and assistant state veterinarian with the Texas Animal Health Commission. “The freedom from NWS provides an estimated $1 billion in direct benefits to livestock producers and $3.7 billion in benefits to the general economy annually.”

Financial Impact of NWS On Ranchers
Regular, large-scale outbreaks of NWS started occurring in the U.S. in the 1930s. According to APHIS, producer losses have reached:

1930s and 1940s — $5 million to $10 million per year
1950s and 1960s — $60 million to $120 million per year
1970s — $132.1 million per year (While the U.S. successfully eradicated the devastating pest, there have been outbreaks, primarily in Texas, since then.)

(APHIS)

Experts agree if NWS reaches the U.S., eradication today will be far more expensive due to the size of the cattle herd, speed and distance of cattle movement in commerce, and increased wildlife interfaces.

“Historically it cost tens of millions, and now it’s estimated to cost into the billions of dollars to eradicate this pest if it gets back to the U.S,” Lansford says.

Based on historical data from an isolated outbreak in Texas in 1976, per-head impact reached $452 in today’s dollars, totaling $732 million.

“[NWS] is a highly impactful foreign animal pest because it is expensive and deadly,” Lansford says. “Back in 1935, when screwworms were endemic in Texas, the state lost about 180,000 head of cattle alone in that year.”

Lansford says the industry will see decreased livestock production and increased veterinary services, medication, insecticide, labor and vehicle costs for the inspection and treatment of NWS.

“Infested wounds and/or mucous membranes and lesions created by this pest cause significant distress and damage to an animal, which can lead to chronic conditions making the animal less marketable and less productive in its lifespan,” he adds.

USDA Investment to Fight NWS
The reopening of Moore Air Base in Texas as a sterile fly distribution facility has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. A brand new production facility, which would take two to three years to build would cost $300 to $600 million, depending on location and resources.

“That doesn’t include what it would cost to continue to operate one of those facilities,” Lansford says. “Certainly, research dollars also need to be spent to develop more effective treatments and other methods and modalities that we can use to help offset not only the infestations, but help prevent those infestations.”

USDA is also investing $21 million in the renovation of an existing fruit fly production facility in Metapa, Mexico, to further the long-term goal of eradicating NWS.

Border Closing Impacts U.S. Cattle Industry
Since May, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has suspended imports of live cattle, horses and bison from Mexico to keep NWS out of the U.S. Many U.S. cattle feeders depend on Mexican cattle to fill feedlots, especially now when the U.S. cattle inventory is at a 74-year low.

“Mexico exports, on average, 1.2 million head of cattle to the U.S. each year,” says Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for NCBA.

Obviously, that number will take a hit with the border closed, but Simmons says even prior to the May 11 suspension, mitigation protocols for NWS, including wound inspections, for cattle from Mexico allowed less than 25% of the usual numbers to cross the southern border each month.

As the U.S. fights to limit the impact of NWS, it’s a long-term battle, reminds Lane with NCBA.

“They’re getting those flies on that leading edge of the incursion. As I understand it, that is slowing the advance in a way that is very good to see,” he says. “The fact is, there are just so many different vectors. There are so many different ways this thing can move north, and we’re going into the hot season where flies thrive. So it’s really about slowing it, about preparing and about making sure we have the resources to meet it and push it back down as quickly as possible. But certainly everyone’s trying to focus right now on trying to hold the line as much as humanly possible.”

As Lansford has come to realize: “This pest will be one that leaves quite a mark on our economy.”

Your next read: How to Win Beef Consumers’ Trust: Authenticity and Responding to Concerns

Be Aware: Dangerous Asian Longhorned Tick Continues Migrating West

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:42:46 GMT

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) poses a serious threat to cattle health. ALHTs carry Theileria, which is a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells. It can lead to anemia and, in some cases, death.

ALHTs are native to eastern Asia, eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea but were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific Islands. In other countries, it can also be called a bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In the U.S., ALHT was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 states with recent confirmations in Illinois , Michigan and Iowa .

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ALHTs are known to carry pathogens, which can cause disease and may also cause distress to the host from their feeding in large numbers. For example, a dairy cow may have a 25% decrease in milk production after becoming a host.

A female can reproduce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. This can cause great stress on a heavily infested animal and result in reduced growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

Asian longhorned tick life stages and relative actual size.

(Photos of unfed ticks by Centers for Disease Control. Photos of engorged ticks by Jim Occi, Rutgers, Center for Vector Biology.)

What does it look like?

Unfed ALHTs range from a light reddish-tan to a dark red with brown, dark markings. While the adult female grows to the size of a pea when full of blood, other stages of the tick are very small — about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult females are a grey-green with yellowish markings. Male ticks are rare.

APHIS reports it only takes a single tick to create a population in a new location.

The above photos are of a AHLT engorged (on the left) and an adult AHLT not engorged.

(New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

ALHTs need warm-blooded hosts to feed and survive. They have been found on various species of domestic animals — such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens — and wildlife. The tick has also been found on people.

What are the health risks?

APHIS says ALHTs are not known to carry Lyme disease, but they can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals such as:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Heartland virus
Powassan virus

APHIS says those diseases have not been confirmed outside of a laboratory setting in the U.S. In addition, U.S. ALHT populations can transmit U.S. Theileria orientalis Ikeda strain (Cattle theileriosis) in the laboratory.

In an Iowa State University release , Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian and associate professor, says cattle affected by Theileriosis will show signs of lethargy, anemia and difficulty breathing. They may develop ventral edema, exercise intolerance, jaundice and abortions.

“Although signs of Theileriosis are similar to anaplasmosis, younger animals and calves often display more severe signs compared to mature cows and bulls,” he says. “Due to anemia from both tick infestation and Theileria, the risk of death can be elevated. If cattle producers suspect either Theileria or ALHT, have a veterinarian collect appropriate samples and submit them to a veterinary diagnostic lab.”

According to an Oklahoma State University press release , under laboratory conditions ALHT is a competent vector of numerous pathogens that can cause disease in humans, including Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Heartland Virus and Powassan Virus.

In “ Clinical Infectious Diseases, ” Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSC, with the division of clinical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported a human bite that occurred in New York in 2019. She says though the report of a human bite isn’t surprising, it proves the invasive longhorned tick continues to bite hosts in its newest location.

“This is extremely worrisome for several reasons,” she writes. “One reason is Asian longhorned ticks can carry several important human pathogens, including the potentially fatal severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus and Rickettsia japonica, which cases Japanese spotted fever. While these pathogens have yet to be found in the United States, there is a risk of their future introduction.”

Also, Pritt says several other human pathogens have been detected in the ticks, but it’s not clear if the ALHT species are able to transmit them to humans. They include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia species. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

She warns the organisms are present in states where ALHTs have been found and that it’s possible the tick — known to be an aggressive biter— might be able to transmit Heartland virus given its close relationship to SFTS virus.

How to Tackle Ticks

According to APHIS, various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

Regular tick treatments should be effective against ALHTs. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you’ve found an ALHT, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.
Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal and placing mulch barriers.
Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, ALHTs are generally active from March to November. Consult your state and local regulations for approved acaricides.

“Cattle producers should aggressively control external parasites this summer,” Dewell summarizes. “Insecticide ear tags alone are not enough to control ticks. Consider incorporating a back rubber or regularly applying a pour-on during the summer. Pyrethroid-based products are also available that include a tick control label. If an increase in tick infestations is observed, an avermectin pour-on may be the best intervention.”

Your Next Read: 1,500-lb. Carcasses the New Normal, Not the Exception

Urgency in Action: We Must Eradicate New World Screwworm

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:14:06 GMT

New World screwworm (NWS) continues to threaten the U.S. cattle industry. The potential impact is devastating — the larvae can kill an animal in just four to seven days if not quickly detected and treated.

Colin Woodall, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CEO, discussed the hurdles of controlling the spread of NSW on the latest episode of the “Unscripted” podcast .

“We have to eradicate it from here,” Woodall stresses. “We need to eradicate it from Mexico. We need to eradicate it from Central America. We need to push this thing all the way back down to South America.”

The NSW fly and its larvae are flesh-eating parasites that pose a significant threat to warm-blooded animals.

“This is not just a cattle issue,” Woodall says. “This could be dogs. This can be cats. It can get into people. So, anything that is warm blooded could be a host for this flesh-eating parasite.”

Woodall says NSW is approximately 700 miles from the U.S. border, having breached the isthmus of Mexico in the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, adding that Texas is expected to be the first point of entry if the fly continues to move north.

“We’re going to look at every eradication option possible, because we have to get rid of this thing,” he says. “This is not something that can become endemic to United States. We have to eradicate it from here.”

Woodall says the situation has been complicated by cooperation challenges with Mexico. Earlier attempts to transport sterile flies were hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, with planes unable to land and flies dying before deployment. This led Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to close the border, sending a clear signal to the Mexican government about the need for more serious action.

He explains cooperation has reportedly improved, with USDA teams planning to visit Mexico to assess the current situation. The primary strategy for control involves releasing sterile flies into the wild to disrupt breeding and push the population back southward.

Woodall says NCBA is actively working on several fronts to address the threat:

Pushing for the establishment of a domestic sterile fly production facility.
Exploring genetic engineering technologies for fly control.
Investigating treatment options (such as ivermectin) and helping producers understand how to detect and treat potential infections quickly. Woodall says treatment is possible, explaining ivermectin has proven effective in killing larvae and treating wounds. However, early detection is crucial due to the rapid progression of infection.
Conducting education and awareness campaigns to explain the threat without causing panic. He says misinformation has been a significant challenge. A recent false report about NSW in Missouri caused panic and temporarily impacted cattle prices. He adds that while the threat is serious, it’s not a cause for panic.

“While everybody needs to be aware, they don’t need to panic, and that’s the thing we want everybody to understand,” Woodall summarizes.

NCBA is taking an active role in addressing the threat of NSW through education, technological exploration, government collaboration and a clear commitment to preventing its spread.

Your Next Read: Secretary Rollins Announces $21 Million Investment to Renovate Fruit Fly Production Facility

Managing Soybean Seedling Blights: Early-Season Disease Prevention

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:06:56 GMT

Common soybean blights like Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia cause reduced stand and economic losses for growers annually. All told, soybean seedling diseases cost growers nearly 6 million bushels in the U.S. in 2023.¹

Chances are, you’ve encountered some form of seedling disease in your soybean operation. Especially with soybean planting dates trending earlier, early-season disease prevention is key to staying ahead of the curve. Here are three steps you can take to help protect this year’s crop.

Scout and identify soybean blights correctly

Learning how to scout for soybean seedling blights is the first step to managing different pathogens effectively.

Scouting can be challenging since seedlings can be infected by multiple pathogens at once. Seedling blights such as Pythium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia can often present similarly in soybeans, making accurate diagnosis tricky. But knowing which blight(s) you’re dealing with is important for proper management. Additionally, one of the symptoms of these soybean blights includes rapid seedling decomposition, making your window for scouting very short.

Improve soil drainage when possible

Soybean blights thrive in wet, cold, poorly drained soil — conditions typical for early spring planting. Soil structure and drainage improvements can promote a safer environment for soybean seedlings to grow without high disease risk.
Increasing soil organic matter with crop residue and cover crops as well as increasing drainage with tillage or tiling will help. Dense, slow-draining soil can lead to soil compaction, which will hinder soybean emergence, leaving seeds underground longer where they can quickly become infected with early soybean diseases.

Select a quality seed treatment

North Carolina State Extension research has found that seed treatments are the most consistent method of improving soybean stands and protecting emerging plants from soybean blights, especially early planted soybeans, which are more susceptible to rot and disease.²

Obvius® Plus seed treatment contains four different active ingredients and protects soybeans from an array of seedling diseases.

Experts are available to help you evaluate your soil conditions, disease risk, and input choices prior to planting. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent, or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Sikora, Ed, et al. “Soybean Disease Loss Estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada — 2023.” Crop Protection Network, 14 Mar. 2024, cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/soybean-disease-loss-estimates-from-the-united-states-and-ontario-canada-2023. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Carleo, Jenny. “Preventing Seedling Diseases in Early Planted Soybeans.” NC State Extension, 27 Apr. 2020, soybeans.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/04/preventing-seedling-diseases-in-early-planted-soybeans/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome: Steps to Protect Seedlings

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 20:28:20 GMT

Soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) is one of the leading yield-limiting soybean diseases, costing U.S. growers more than 21 thousand bushels in the U.S. in 2023.¹

Once this soil-borne fungus takes hold in a soybean field, its spores can survive for decades. Since it’s nearly impossible to eradicate, the best you can hope for is to manage your soybean sudden death syndrome. Selecting the right soybean variety is considered the number one management tool for combatting SDS.²

Learn what factors to evaluate when selecting soybean seed and how to take steps to protect emerging seedlings from sudden death syndrome.

1. Plant later into warmer, drier soil to avoid sudden death syndrome

Delayed germination and emergence extends the period of time soybean seeds are exposed to pathogens like soybean sudden death syndrome. The cool, moist soils characteristic of early planting dates also favor the infection.

If your field has a history of soybean sudden death syndrome, you may want to consider moving planting dates a week or two after regular early planting dates. Additionally, tillage can help promote earlier soil warming.

However, be cautious of planting delays and their negative impact on overall yield. According to the North Central Soybean Research Program (NCSRP), there is no need to delay planting as long as you are using SDS-tolerant varieties and you are not planting a susceptible variety in a field with a history of SDS.³

2. Select high-vigor, soybean sudden death syndrome-resistant varieties

High-quality seed with proven SDS resistance can help you combat soybean sudden death syndrome.

In general, choosing high-vigor seed that is less likely to be harmed by early season pests, pathogens and weather conditions is key to combatting SDS infections. For example, damage from soybean cyst nematode (SCN) creates wounds in the soybean root system as the nematodes feed, subsequently creating entry points for the Fusarium fungus that causes soybean sudden death syndrome to infect the plant. In turn, planting seed with SCN resistance can help reduce the severity of SDS infections.

Additionally, selecting seed with fast germination rates can help shorten the critical germination window that, if delayed, can otherwise increase SDS risk.⁴

3. Use seed treatment to suppress soybean sudden death syndrome

Even the highest quality soybean seed could use a little help getting off to a good start. Protecting soybean plants at their most vulnerable is critical for managing soybean sudden death syndrome. Look for seed treatments that protect against the foliar and root rot phases of SDS in soybeans.

Ilevo® seed treatment offers protection from both SDS as well as SCN in soybean.

Experts are available to help you make your decisions. Reach out to your seed retailer, a nearby extension office agent, or a seed company professional like your regional BASF representative .

________________________________________________

Endnotes

Sikora, Ed. “Soybean Disease Loss Estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada — 2023.” Crop Protection Network, 14 Mar. 2024, cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/soybean-disease-loss-estimates-from-the-united-states-and-ontario-canada-2023. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Jardine, Douglas J. “Sudden Death Syndrome - Soybean Disease.” Soybean Research & Information Network, 19 May 2020, soybeanresearchinfo.com/soybean-disease/sudden-death-syndrome/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Jardine. “Sudden Death Syndrome - Soybean Disease.”
Meiring, Bridget. “Sudden Death Syndrome of Soybean.” Ohio State University Extension, 19 Jan. 2011, ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/AC-44. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Trump Administration Shifts Strategy on Avian Flu

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:38:30 GMT

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

Key Points of the New Strategy

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

Recent Developments

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

Concerns and Challenges

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

Future Outlook

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

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

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

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

Background

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

Outbreaks in 2017

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

Policy Continuation

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

Depopulation Strategy

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

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

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

Outbreaks

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

Actions Taken

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

Funding and Resource Allocation

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

Testing and Surveillance

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

Biosecurity Measures

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

Interagency Cooperation

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

Public Health Initiatives

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

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

Vaccines

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

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

New Variants

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

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

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

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

USDA has allocated significant funding for HPAI response:

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

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

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

Challenges

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

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

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

Another Issue:

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

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

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

Impact on Poultry and Egg Production.

The emergence of new variants has led to:

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

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

Impact on Organic Egg Production

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

Cage-Free Egg Availability

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

Market Dynamics

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

Other Issues:

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

Economic and Trade Implications.

Changing variants can affect international trade and economic stability:

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

Human Health Concerns

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

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

Egg Prices

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

Several factors have contributed to the soaring egg prices:

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

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

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

Egg Price Outlook

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

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

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

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

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

Imports

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

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

The top egg-exporting countries globally in 2023 were:

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

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

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

Regulatory Actions

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

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

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

Policy Interventions

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

Economic Measures

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

USDA has several potential measures to stabilize egg prices:

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

Challenges and Limitations

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

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

More Action Needed By Mexico Before Reopening Border for Feeder Cattle Imports, Says Vilsack

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 20:54:32 GMT

A letter sent Friday by outgoing USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture Julio Antonio Berdeguê acknowledges the progress made in reopening cattle trade between the two countries following the detection of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, but says more action is needed to resume trade.

Key developments:

Technical collaboration between U.S. and Mexican teams
Full technical agreement on protocol reached on Dec. 12, 2024
Ongoing work to approve pre-export NWS inspection facilities.

Vilsack emphasizes the importance of expediting the approval process for these facilities to resume safe export as soon as possible, citing the significance of trade for a safe and affordable food supply.

The letter also addresses efforts to combat the spread of New World Screwworm:

Emergency funding has been authorized to increase sterile fly production
Production has increased fivefold in the past year
Enhanced regional response through increased dispersal, surveillance, education, and partnerships
Acknowledgment of Mexico’s partnership in sterile fly releases, movement controls, and surveillance
Shared goal to push the pest south to the Darien Gap

Vilsack requests immediate support from Secretary Berdegué for the establishment of two planned sterile fly dispersal centers in Southern Mexico to strengthen current efforts.

The letter maintains a cordial and cooperative tone throughout, emphasizing:

Shared commitments and goals
Acknowledgment of Mexico’s efforts and partnership
Expressions of gratitude for collaboration
Requests for continued support and expedited action

Industry sources say specific testing will take place Monday, Jan. 20, and that and other tests will go a long way in establishing a trade resumption timeline.

NWS Trade Impacts Started in November
As previously reported, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) suspended imports of live cattle and bison from Mexico on Nov. 22, 2024, following the detection of New World screwworm (NWS) along Mexico’s southern border. This pest can have a significant negative impact on cattle health, and U.S. authorities have been working to develop protocols to screen animals coming into the country.

Several factors are influencing the timeline and pace of reopening:

Facility inspections: Both countries have agreed on protocols, but implementation requires facility inspections and approvals.
Quarantine period: A seven-day quarantine after animal checks
Port readiness: The most important port to get moving again is Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

The temporary suspension of cattle imports from Mexico has had notable effects on the U.S. cattle market:

Reduced supply: About 250,000-300,000 fewer head of cattle are estimated to have been imported due to the suspension.
Price support: The trade disruption has been supporting feeder cattle and calf prices in the U.S.

New Study Says Domestic Cats Need To Be Evaluated More For HPAI H5N1 Implications

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:04:17 GMT

Dairy cattle have garnered most of the agriculture industry’s attention in the past year, with regard to outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) H5N1.

Now, some researchers are turning their attention to other animals on the farm impacted by the virus: cats.

A new study published Monday in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infection addresses how domestic cats are affected by the virus and notes concerns such felines could offer the potential for HPAI H5N1 to evolve into a more dangerous version of the virus.

The study – which addresses the deaths of 10 cats in rural South Dakota last April – is not the first time researchers have raised concerns about the virus in cats and the potential for transmission to other mammals.

‘Urgent Need For Surveillance’
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health said in June 2024 that a “20-year review of bird flu in felines suggests urgent need for domestic cat surveillance.”

Kristen Coleman, an assistant professor in the UMD School of Public Health, and an affiliate professor in the University of Maryland Department of Veterinary Medicine, said, “As companion animals, domestic cats provide a potential pathway for avian influenza viruses to spillover into humans.” (Researcher Warns Pet Cats Risk Getting Bird Flu)

“We looked at the global distribution and spread of bird flu infections in feline species between 2004 and 2024 and found a drastic rise in reports of feline infections starting in 2023, with a spike in infections reported among domestic cats, as opposed to wild or zoo-kept animals,” added Coleman, who was not involved in the South Dakota study.

There is no study that shows transmission occurs from HPAI H5N1-infected cats to humans. Furthermore, current research shows HPAI H5N1 does not readily spread among humans, though studies have noted one or two key mutations could change that fact.

The virus often does take a deadly toll on felines. According to the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health , infected domestic cats have a mortality rate of up to 67%.

Last week, the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Health Diagnostic Center published directions online for veterinarians testing cats for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) .

AVMA Weighs In
“Dozens of cats are known to have contracted the virus, including barn and feral cats, indoor cats, and big cats in zoos and in the wild (e.g., mountain lions, tigers, leopards, and bobcats),” according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). “Cats were already known to be susceptible to the H5N1 virus, with several feline cases linked to poultry or wild bird exposure before the cattle outbreak began,” AVMA said.

See Avian influenza A (H5N1) in cats for the Association’s recommended practices for dealing with any suspected of being infected by the virus.

‘A Possible Link’ To Local Cattle
The study published on Monday said virus-infected birds could have played a role in the South Dakota felines’ demise.

In addition, the report said: “The exact source of infection remains unclear; however, phylogenetic analysis of H5N1 sequences from two of the cats reveals a close genetic relationship to clade 2.3.4.4b strains previously detected in local cattle, suggesting a possible link.

“Additionally, the presence of bird feathers near the deceased cats indicates the likelihood that infection may have occurred through the consumption of virus-infected birds. However, because the disease typically requires several days to manifest post-ingestion, the exact timing of exposure is unclear. This evidence points toward a plausible cattle-to-bird-to-cat transmission pathway, supported by recent studies that identified H5N1 sequences across multiple species on affected farms, including dairy cows, wild birds, domestic cats, and raccoons.”

Many Mammal Species Impacted
According to USDA-APHIS, more than 200 mammal species in the U.S. have been infected by the virus since 2022.

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

The CDC encourages veterinarians and other individuals working with cats or other mammals that are suspected or confirmed positive for HPAI H5N1 to take precautions to prevent potential unprotected exposures.

The agency offers additional direction here: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Animals: Interim Recommendations for Prevention, Monitoring, and Public Health Investigations .

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

APHIS Increases Import Restrictions on Animal Products from Mexico on Confirmed Case of New World Screwworm

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:24:54 GMT

On Nov. 22, Mexico’s Chief Veterinary Officer informed USDA about a confirmed case of New World screwworm (NWS) in Chiapas, near the Guatemala border. These fly larvae infest warm-blooded animals, including humans, causing severe infections.

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has heightened import restrictions on animal products from Mexico and intensified efforts in Central America to contain the pest’s spread. APHIS is collaborating with regional partners, releasing sterile flies and maintaining vigilance along the southern U.S. border.

Producers are urged to inspect livestock and pets for signs of infection, such as wounds or larvae, and report suspected cases promptly. Human infections, though rare, require immediate medical attention.

“Although USDA eradicated NWS from the United States in 1966 using sterile insect technique, there is a constant risk of re-introduction into the United States,” APHIS stated on the agency’s website .

Market Impact:

This will primarily impact feeder cattle imports from Mexico, and feeder cattle prices popped on the news. Mexico ships around 100,000 head a month to the U.S. The trade is seasonable, and we are on the backside of the Fall season. The restrictions are estimated to be in force for at least a month, sources note.

One trade source said, “Feeder cattle supply in the January inventory could show a 1.2 million head reduction. Anything to shorten Mexico supplies is important.”

USDA’s Preventive Measures

APHIS has taken several steps to protect U.S. livestock and wildlife from the New World Screwworm:

• Enhanced import restrictions: Stricter controls have been placed on animal products entering the U.S. from Mexico.
• Increased surveillance: APHIS is likely to have intensified monitoring at border crossings and ports of entry.
• Collaboration with Mexican authorities: USDA is working closely with Mexican officials to address the situation at its source.

Impact on Trade and Travel

The detection of New World Screwworm in Mexico and the subsequent USDA actions may have significant implications:

• Trade disruptions: Importers of Mexican animal products may face delays or restrictions.
• Travel advisories: Travelers returning from Mexico might encounter additional screening measures for pets or animal-derived goods.

Background:

New World Screwworm is a serious veterinary pest that can cause severe damage to livestock and wildlife populations. Its detection in Mexico represents a potential threat to animal health in the region, necessitating swift and coordinated action from agricultural authorities on both sides of the border.

USDA’s proactive approach underscores the importance of international cooperation in preventing the spread of agricultural pests and diseases. As the situation develops, further updates from APHIS and other USDA agencies are expected to guide stakeholders and the public on necessary precautions and compliance with new regulations.

USDA Reports First H5N1 Detection in Swine

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 19:05:00 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
___________________________________________________________________________

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

Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 23:13:09 GMT

Updated as of 4.10.24

Now that the mystery illness impacting dairy herds in multiple states has been revealed as the same strain of influenza virus [Influenza A (H5N1)] that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking a lot of questions. Is this strain transmittable to pigs? Should livestock producers with cattle and pigs be concerned about cross-species transmission?

Those are all important questions, but understanding influenza is the best place to start, says National Pork Board chief veterinarian Dusty Oedekoven.

“Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is influenza. HPAI is an official term defined by the severity of the mortality rate in poultry,” he explains.

Within strains of influenza A, the naming convention goes by two proteins on the outer surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H type) and neuraminidase (N type). Typically, HPAI is of the H5 or H7 types, but there are many other possibilities as there are 18 hemagglutinin types and 11 neuraminidase types, he explains.

“Not all of those occur in poultry, not all of those occur in pigs, and not all of those occur in humans,” Oedekoven clarifies. “But the term highly pathogenic applies to poultry.”

He believes the reason it’s making headlines as HPAI is because it’s the same strain, H5N1, or similar strain that has been found recently in poultry where they have designated it as HPAI.

“Maybe that’s a narrow thing to tease apart,” he points out. “But in my mind, I hope we can separate that a little bit. This is influenza A virus.”

Influenza A viruses affect many warm-blooded animals, including birds and mammals. That’s nothing new, Oedekoven says. Influenza A viruses have been identified in cattle in the past, as well as swine and birds.

“If we think about influenza in domesticated species and humans, we are typically looking at the cycle between humans and pigs,” he says. “Pigs become amplifying hosts of influenza A viruses and the mixing vessel for different types of viruses, as are birds. Birds can get multiple viruses and those viruses mutate within the bird, and new strains evolve. That’s how we have new strains of the virus that emerge and become different strains.”

And that’s why receiving the annual flu vaccine is so important, he adds.

“It’s likely the vaccines we got last year were designed for a different strain than what we’re looking at this year because the virus reassorted and it’s slightly different. Scientists predicting which strain we might be dealing with for the vaccine are right sometimes, and sometimes they miss the mark a little and you may see more influenza in a given year,” he says.

Fact #1: The threat of influenza virus infection in people and pigs is ever present.

Oedekoven says he has not heard of the H5N1 strain being identified in pigs at this time.

“We know pigs are susceptible to influenza A viruses, and swine influe-nza is not uncommon in the U.S. We see outbreaks of routine swine influe-nza fairly frequently,” he says. “We don’t know if there’s any special higher risk of disease or illness or mortality for pigs due to this virus strain than any other swine influenza strain we have.”

The key is diligent observation. If producers see signs of illness in their pigs, Oedekoven urges them to contact their veterinarians.

On the same hand, if they see signs of respiratory illness or flu-like symptoms in people, seek advice from healthcare providers.

Influenza A viruses are common in people, just like they are pigs. Influenza viruses are constantly changing and reassorting.

“The threat of influenza virus infection in people and pigs 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,” he says.

This doesn’t represent an elevated threat, Oedekoven adds.

“It’s recognition of a threat we know is there,” he says. “Influenza viruses exist and circulate in people all the time.”

Good sanitation and hygiene are important. If employers have workers who are ill with influenza signs, don’t let them come to work because they could potentially spread that disease to the pigs, which could cause more spread to other humans.

Fact #2: There’s no evidence to support a higher risk of influenza infection from cattle to pigs than exists otherwise.

“We’re not even sure yet to what extent this strain of influenza may be transmitted from cattle,” he says.

USDA reports bovine influenza A virus (originally referred to as HPAI in many reports) in dairy cattle was first identified in samples that included unpasteurized milk from one dairy farm in Texas and two in Kansas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas. The virus was first confirmed in one Texas herd on March 21 by Iowa State University’s diagnostic lab that was helping Texas labs process samples more quickly. Affected farms also reported finding deceased wild birds on their properties.

“Most waterfowl and wild bird species can carry influenza viruses, but usually they don’t die from it. They are good carriers of it and can become infected and produce high levels of the virus and spread it. It’s always a good biosecurity practice to keep birds away from your pigs,” he says.

Remain Vigilant
Megan Niederwerder, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), encourages producers to keep close tabs on biosecurity protocols to reduce risk of pathogen exposure from wildlife.

“As part of the Swine Health Information Center’s Standardized Outbreak Investigation Form, there are several hazards associated with wild birds that can be proactively considered to enhance biosecurity,” Niederwerder explains.

Examples include surface water, wild bird access to inside swine barns, equipment stored outside, compost piles, mortality disposal boxes, open feed bags, open feed bin covers and feed spillage fed to pigs, she says.

“It is important to clean and disinfect tools and equipment with potential exposure to wildlife prior to utilizing inside facilities housing pigs,” Niederwerder says.     

Prompt investigation is key, Oedekoven says. This helps veterinarians and producers handle disease challenges better. USDA notes additional testing is underway, including genome sequencing, to characterize the strain(s) associated with the detections.

Spread the Word

Pork producers play an important role in disseminating truth, Oedekoven says. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza has not been shown to spread through eating properly handled pork.

“You can’t get influenza from eating or handling pork,” Oedekoven emphasized. “There’s not a risk of acquiring influenza that way. The way that it is transmitted is through aerosolization and direct contact between infected animals, including humans.”

Read More:

Piecing the Puzzle Together: Diagnostic Monitoring and Flu Prevention

Veterinarians Answer Questions on Influenza

BREAKING: Mystery Illness Impacting Texas, Kansas Dairy Cattle is Confirmed as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strain

Meat Institute: Properly Prepared Beef is Safe to Eat; HPAI is not a Food Safety Threat

HPAI Now Detected on Ohio Dairy: Strange Bird Flu Concerns See Growth

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:45:08 GMT

Ohio has become the sixth state where dairy cattle have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. A recent news release from the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) reports presumptive positive results from dairy cows in Wood County.

According to officials, the cows arrived in Wood County on March 8 from a dairy in Texas. That dairy later reported a confirmed case of HPAI. The Ohio dairy operation alerted state officials when the livestock began showing signs of illness. State officials are awaiting confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We have official confirmation that we do have a case at a dairy in Wood County of HPAI, which is an influenza,” says ODA Director Brian Baldridge. “We’ve been working with this in the poultry industry for about the last two-and-a-half years and it has found its way into the dairy industry. We are working diligently with the dairy, with their vets and with our Animal Health division and our state veterinarian, Dr. (Dennis) Summers, on this issue.

According to the USDA, HPAI has now been detected in five other states, including:

Texas
Kansas
New Mexico,
Idaho
Michigan

“Clinically sick dairy cattle from affected herds range from 1% to 20%, with an average of 10% of the milking herd affected. There are no confirmed reports of death loss in dairy cattle directly attributed to these detections. Most sick cows begin recovering within a few days.”

“Federal and state agencies continue to conduct additional testing from sick animals and in unpasteurized clinical milk samples from sick animals, as well as viral genome sequencing, to assess whether HPAI or another unrelated illness may be underlying any symptoms,” the ODA reports.

The agency notes that clinically sick dairy cattle from affected herds range from 1% to 20%, with an average of 10% of the milking herd affected. Currently, there are no confirmed reports of death loss in dairy cattle directly attributed to these detections with most sick cows recovering within a few days.

HPAI symptoms in dairy cattle include:

Sudden drop in milk production.
Some severely impacted cows are producing thicker, more concentrated, colostrum-like milk.
Drop in feed consumption with a simultaneous drop in rumen function, accompanied by loose feces and some fever.
Impacted herds have reported older cows in mid-lactation may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows, fresh cows or heifers.
Some herds have reported pneumonia and mastitis.

Officials are strongly advising dairy producers to use all standard biosecurity measures. They note it’s important for producers to clean and disinfect all livestock watering devices and isolate drinking water where it might be contaminated by waterfowl. Farmers are also being asked to notify their herd veterinarian if they suspect any cattle within their herd are displaying symptoms of this condition.

For more on HPAI, read:

Strange Bird Flu Outbreak, HPAI, Now Detected at Idaho Dairy

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:40:13 GMT

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) announced that HPAI, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been found in dairy cattle in Idaho. This now brings the number of affected states to four, adding more evidence the virus may be spreading cow to cow.

The cows were recently brought into the Cassia County dairy from another state that had found HPAI in dairy cattle, according to the ISDA.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that an investigation into mysterious illnesses in dairy cows in three states—Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas—was due to HPAI and that wild birds are the source of the virus.

Symptoms of HPAI in cattle include:

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

At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. The pasteurization process of heating milk to a high temperature ensures milk and dairy products can be consumed safely.

The ISDA encourages all dairy producers to closely monitor their herd and contact their local veterinarian immediately if cattle appear to show symptoms. HPAI is a mandatory reportable disease, and any Idaho veterinarians who suspect cases of HPAI in livestock should immediately report it to ISDA at 208-332-8540 or complete the HPAI Livestock Screen at agri.idaho.gov/main/animals/hpai/ .

For more on HPAI, read:

Rare Human Case of Bird Flu Confirmed. Officials Believe it Began on Texas Dairy

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 18:03:41 GMT

Just a week after discovering that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as bird flu, was the cause of illness for several dairy herds throughout the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico and Kansas , the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is now reporting that a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus has been confirmed in Texas. The case was identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the disease.

The patient, who experienced eye inflammation as their only symptom, was tested for flu late last week with confirmatory testing performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the weekend. Currently, the patient is being treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir. The DSHS reports that the human case does not change the risk for the general public, which still remains low.

According to the CDC, this is the second human case of H5N1 flu in the U.S. and the first linked to an exposure to cattle. Symptoms can include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, eye redness, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or seizures. The illness can range from mild to severe, and health care providers who come across someone who may have the virus should “immediately consult their local health department,” according to the alert.

“The risk to the general public is believed to be low; however, people with close contact with affected animals suspected of having avian influenza A(H5N1) have a higher risk of infection,” the alert said.

While the disease is new to the dairy industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says there is no safety concern to the commercial milk supply. Consumer health is also not at risk, the department said. The milk from impacted animals is being dumped or destroyed and will not enter the food supply.

“Milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the human food supply,” agencies said. “In addition, pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. FDA’s longstanding position is that unpasteurized, raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to consumers, and FDA is reminding consumers of the risks associated with raw milk consumption in light of the HPAI detections.”

The virus was detected in dairy herds in Texas and Kansas last week and has since spread to additional herds in at least five states, all of which include:

Texas
Kansas
New Mexico
Idaho
Michigan

This leads some scientists to believe that the virus may be spreading cow-to-cow.

Texas officials are guiding affected dairies about how to minimize workers’ exposure and how people who work with affected cattle can monitor for flu-like symptoms and get tested.

In addition, officials are strongly advising dairy producers to use all standard biosecurity measures. They note it’s important for producers to clean and disinfect all livestock watering devices and isolate drinking water where it might be contaminated by waterfowl. Farmers are also being asked to notify their herd veterinarian if they suspect any cattle within their herd are displaying symptoms of this condition.

“Unlike affected poultry, I foresee there will be no need to depopulate dairy herds,” says Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “Cattle are expected to fully recover. The Texas Department of Agriculture is committed to providing unwavering support to our dairy industry.”

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New Regulation: Dairy Cattle Entry into Nebraska Now Requires Permit Amid HPAI Bird Flu Concerns

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:21:50 GMT

In an effort to increase its biosecurity measures, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has issued a restriction on the importation of dairy cattle because of the recent outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu.

According to a statement issued by Governor, Jim Pillen, the new order requires all breeding female dairy cattle coming into the state to have a permit issued by the NDA first. To obtain a permit, dairy producers will need to contact the NDA and consult with their local veterinarian. The new importation order will be in place for 30 days (until April 30, 2024) and will be re-evaluated at that time.

Currently, HPAI has been detected in lactating dairy cattle in states such as Texas, New Mexico, Michigan, and Idaho, as well as Nebraska’s bordering state, Kansas.

“Animal health and disease control are essential to the livestock industry and health of Nebraska’s economy,” says Sherry Vinton, NDA director. “NDA is closely monitoring this HPAI illness in livestock. We will do what’s right to advocate for Nebraska producers, to protect the health of Nebraska livestock, and to minimize the impact HPAI will have on dairy producers in the state.”

In addition to applying for a permit to import cattle into the state, the NDA recommends dairy producers adhere to strict biosecurity practices and quarantining new animals into herds for 30 days, if possible. If dairy producers notice symptoms such as a sudden drop in milk production, changes in milk color/consistency, decreased feed intake, and other clinical signs, they should contact their herd veterinarian and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture immediately.

“The health and safety of livestock in Nebraska is top priority,” says State Veterinarian Roger Dudley, DMV. “At this time, it appears the HPAI illness found in dairy operations in some states only affects lactating dairy cows and is not being seen in other segments of the cattle industry. Now, more than ever, is the time to enhance biosecurity measures on farms and ranches to help protect livestock from illness.”

For more on HPAI, read:

Minnesota Goat Confirmed to Have Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:21:58 GMT

A juvenile goat in Minnesota recently tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). While HPAI has been detected in predatory mammals that prey on infected birds, this is the first identified case of HPAI in domestic livestock in the U.S. The goat lived on the same premises where a poultry flock tested positive for HPAI in late February. The goat shared the same pasture and sole water source as the poultry flock.

HPAI is a known disease of wild and domestic poultry and waterfowl. There is limited information available about HPAI infection in ruminants, though in some species, animals with immature or compromised immune systems appear to be at greater risk of infection. Only young goats were afflicted in the Minnesota case, not mature goats. This case is being investigated by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“As we aim to protect livestock for our North Dakota producers, the risk of transmission increases during spring,” says Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.

“While we don’t envision this zoonotic transmission to be commonplace, good biosecurity protocols separating livestock from poultry/waterfowl is a good production practice to reduce the potential spread of HPAI to our small ruminants during the spring migration of wild birds,” says Travis Hoffman, NDSU Extension sheep specialist.

“H5N1 HPAI has been detected in wild birds throughout all U.S. migratory flyways , says Dr. Gerald Stokka, NDSU Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. “Wild birds can be infected without showing symptoms of the infection. While waterfowl are the primary carriers, positive cases are being documented in predatory birds and mammals, and now domestic goats.”

NDSU Extension experts support the biosecurity practices released by University of Minnesota Extension that can reduce the potential for domestic animals to contract HPAI. Recommended practices include:

Do not allow poultry and livestock species access to ponds, wetlands and other stagnant water sources that are frequented by wild waterfowl such as ducks, geese or swans.
Watch poultry and livestock for signs of illness, including reduced appetite, fever, inability to stand, depression, nasal discharge, diarrhea, coughing and change in behavior.
Consider housing poultry separately from other livestock species and minimize poultry access to pasture areas that are grazed by other livestock species.
Do not allow poultry, waterfowl and wildlife to share water sources and feedstuffs with other livestock species.

Protocols for protecting livestock include:

In the Minnesota goat case, infected goats shared the same water source as infected poultry. Limiting livestock exposure to potentially inflicted-HPAI poultry is the first action of defense.
Current influenza vaccines used in horses are not effective against HPAI. Always consult your veterinarian before administering vaccinations.
Many cattle are vaccinated against Parainfluenza-3 (PI-3), a virus that can cause respiratory issues. Parainfluenza viruses are in a different family from influenza viruses and the PI-3 vaccine does not provide protection against influenza.
If you have an unexplained death in one of your animals, consult with your farm veterinarian, contact the North Dakota Board of Animal Health .

“There is no evidence that anyone has contracted the virus from eating a fully cooked bird, either domestic or wild,” says Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences. “It is always a safe practice to fully cook wild game to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of whether there is a threat of HPAI.”

NDSU Extension HPAI resources are available at ndsu.ag/hpai . UMN Extension HPAI resources are available at z.umn.edu/HPAIgoat .

Avian influenza surveillance and testing in wild birds is being done by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the North Dakota Department of Game and Fish. To learn more about HPAI cases in birds and mammals, please visit the USDA’s APHIS website . Report sick and dead wildlife at https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/mortality-report . Direct wild bird avian influenza questions to 701-204-2161.

History of Studying and Preventing Animal Disease in the U.S.

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 15:29:35 GMT

Dogs are believed to have been the first domesticated animal species, likely occurring in many locations around the world at least 20,000 years ago to help humans track and hunt wild animals for food. Sheep and goats were likely the first food animal species domesticated around 11,000 years ago, in mountainous regions in present-day Turkey and Iran.

Over the millennia, farmers have been trying to figure out why some of their animals were dying of diseases and what they could do to stop it. However, it wasn’t until the mid-18th century, after the first vaccinations for humans (smallpox) was developed and the germ theory of disease became more widely accepted, that the study of animal disease and the practice of veterinary medicine began to emerge as systematic sciences.

The first true veterinary school was established in Lyon, France in 1761, as Claude Bourgelat was commissioned and funded by King Louis XIV to try to find a way to stop the scourge of rinderpest, a cattle disease that had killed an estimated 200 million animals in Europe during the first half of the 18th century. At that time, the school provided one year of instruction to its students.

It took more than a century for the first U.S. counterpart institution to arrive. The first school of veterinary medicine in the United States was located at what is now Iowa State University in 1879. Iowa State had been the first educational institution to receive land grant status, within three months of the enactment of the Morrill Act of 1862. The school began granting four-year degrees in veterinary medicine in 1903. There are now 32 accredited colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States.

The then-Commissioner of Agriculture, George Loring from Massachusetts, a former member of Congress, set up a Veterinary Division at the U.S. Department in 1883, and then the unit was renamed the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) about a year later after President Chester Arthur signed the Animal Industry Act in 1884. The unit was initially charged with “promoting livestock disease research, enforcing animal import regulations, and regulating the interstate movement of animals.” In 1953, the BAI was merged with the Bureau of Entomology and the Bureau of Plant Quarantine to create the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was established in 1972 as a USDA agency under a memorandum signed by Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz. The new agency consisted of the plant and animal research divisions from ARS, and the meat and poultry inspection divisions from what is now known as the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).

While there a number of serious animal diseases that have struck livestock herds around the world over time, those that afflict cattle and other ruminant species tend to garner the most public attention. The disease rinderpest, which means ‘cattle plague’ in German, mentioned briefly above, was first identified as a disease spread through the transport of cattle from ancient Egypt in 3000 BC. In the 18th century, experimentation with inoculation of cattle was conducted in England and the Netherlands, with relatively mixed results. The virus spread to Africa through colonization, and an outbreak in eastern and southern Africa in the 1890’s is estimated to have killed 80 to 90 percent of the cattle in that region. An outbreak of the disease in Europe in early 20th century led to the establishment of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE), now the World Organization on Animal Health (WOAH) in 1924 in Paris, France.

Work on vaccinations against this disease resumed in the 20th century using more rigorous scientific techniques. Dr. Walter Plowright, an English veterinarian, developed a tissue culture vaccine during the 1960’s which helped contribute to the elimination of this disease globally as of 2011. He was awarded the World Food Prize in 1999 for his work.

Foot and mouth disease infects cattle and other ruminants--including hogs, sheep, goats, and wild ruminant species such as water buffalo and wildebeests in Africa. This disease has captured public attention over recent centuries, and is present in 77 percent of the world’s livestock population. Mortality is relatively low (1-5 percent) among adult animals who contract this disease, but much higher among young animals, up to 80 percent. A 2013 paper estimated that the global annual cost of the disease in terms of lost livestock production and vaccinations administered in endemic regions ranged between $6.5 and $21 billion, with additional costs of $1.5 billion per year in previously FMD-free regions when cases are detected.

The United States was hit with nine distinct outbreaks of foot and mouth disease between 1870 and 1929. Outbreaks in both Mexico and Canada in 1954 prompted the U.S. government to establish a USDA research facility to study foot and mouth disease and other highly transmissible animal diseases on Plum Island, a small island off the coast of Long Island in New York state, so as to minimize risk of transmission of those diseases to livestock populations on the U.S. mainland. Prior to 1954, this type of research had been conducted at European facilities with which the U.S. government had formal arrangements for USDA scientists to work overseas. Congress had authorized USDA to set up a U.S. facility in 1948 but the Department did not select Plum Island until several years later, initially renovating buildings that were originally part of Fort Terry, an Army base that had been part of a coastal defense network since 1897. Management of the Plum Island facility was transferred to the newly established Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003.

Due to the Plum Island facility’s limited capacity and less than ideal biosecurity protocols, Congress provided authorization for a new animal disease research lab to be built. DHS selected Manhattan, KS as the site for the new facility in 2009, and construction was initiated in 2013. The work on the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) was completed in late 2022 and will be operated by USDA after a MOU transferring the facility was executed in 2019.

First Human Case of Avian Flu in the U.S. Confirmed in Colorado

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 14:30:36 GMT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday that a person in Colorado has tested positive for avian influenza.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said the man is mostly asymptomatic, reporting only fatigue. He is now isolating and taking the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) per CDC direction.

“This case occurred in a person who had direct exposure to poultry and was involved in the culling (depopulating) of poultry with presumptive H5N1 bird flu,” the CDC reported in a press release.

This is the first human case in the U.S. associated with this specific group of H5 viruses that are currently predominant.

The last major outbreak of H5N1 in 2015 the was the worst animal disease outbreak recorded in U.S. history, according to the USDA. Officials are concerned 2022 outbreaks could surpass that year.

Risk Of Infection Is Low

The CDC said it is possible the detection of H5 bird flu in this “specimen is a result of surface contamination of the nasal membrane, that can’t be determined at this point and the positive test result meets the criteria for an H5 case. The appropriate public health response at this time is to assume this is an infection and take actions to contain and treat.”

This case does not change the human risk assessment for the general public, which CDC considers to be low. However, people who have job-related or recreational exposures to infected birds are at higher risk of infection should take appropriate precautions outlined in CDC guidance.

Monitoring Is Ongoing

CDC has been monitoring for illness among people exposed to H5N1 virus-infected birds since these outbreaks were detected in U.S. wild birds and poultry in late 2021 and into 2022.

To date, H5N1 viruses have been found in U.S. commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states. CDC has tracked the health of more than 2,500 people with exposures to H5N1 virus-infected birds and this is the only case that has been found to date. Other people involved in the culling operation in Colorado have tested negative for H5 virus infection, but they are being retested, CDC said.

More information is available at www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0428-avian-flu.html

How Chronic Wasting Disease Impacts Agriculture

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 20:11:37 GMT

Is chronic wasting disease (CWD) a potential time bomb for the agriculture industry? A silent killer stalking deer and elk, CWD continues to move quietly across the U.S., with 22 states currently reporting CWD presence in free-ranging cervids.

CWD is a neural malady with devastating final-stage symptoms akin to mad cow disease. There is no direct proof of transmission via contaminated grain or feedstuffs, but researchers say accumulating evidence warrants a closer look at the possibility for potential disruption of multiple facets of the agriculture industry.

CWD is a guarantee of protracted death. Without exception, host deer slowly enter a zombie-like state characterized by extreme thirst, lack of mobility, loss of balance and near-total disorientation. CWD plays by a unique set of disease rules and does not spread by the common modes of infection (bacteria or virus), but is transmitted by a corrupted prion, essentially a misfolded protein. The corrupted prions multiply until the infection reaches the brain, destroying cells and attacking the central nervous system. Brain cells die in response to the presence of prions, creating holes in the brain.

“It’s a bad way to die. The animals are emaciated and waste away, and ultimately die from aspiration pneumonia because the swallowing reflex is affected and saliva gets into the lungs, or they freeze to death because they have no more body fat,” says Tracy Nichols, a molecular biologist and staff officer with USDA’s Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program in Fort Collins, Co.

On average whitetail deer have an approximate two-year CWD incubation period from infection to death. Although deer appear and act healthy for the vast majority of the disease duration, they can transmit CWD during nearly the entire span. (It is detectable in bodily fluids from infected animals as early as three months.) Deer directly contract CWD through infectious saliva, feces and urine, or indirectly via soil ingestion, foraging or a water source contaminated with prion proteins.

After initial detection in 1967 at a Colorado captive mule deer facility, CWD spread with a slow, but sure pace. Fifty years later, CWD has infected cervid populations in 181 counties across 22 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The geographic footprint of CWD continues to swell, likely through two different functions. One, slow diffusion from deer to deer in the wild. Two, faster movement through human-assisted spread by captive cervid farms or hunter-transported carcasses.

There are no known cases of natural transmission of CWD to domestic livestock. However, in laboratory conditions, CWD has been reproduced experimentally in cattle and swine, and research studies continue to examine crossover possibilities. There is no evidence of human crossover of CWD, although a 2017 study documented oral transmission of CWD to macaque monkeys. (Conducted in Canada, the study awaits peer review and publication.) Since 1997, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for the exclusion of all prion disease material from the human and animal food chains.

“Mad cow disease crossed the species barrier to humans, but we haven’t seen evidence of CWD crossover. We can’t say crossover won’t happen in time, and as a precautionary measure WHO doesn’t want infected prions in the human or animal food chains,” says Bryan Richards , chronic wasting disease project leader for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis.

The possibility of CWD transmission beyond cervid populations remains an unanswered question, partly because different strains of CWD behave distinctly. “There is so much about CWD transmission we don’t know and so much yet to be studied. There are so many CWD unknowns related to brain matter, infectivity, prion stage, lymph nodes and more,” says David Clausen , a retired Wisconsin veterinarian, farmer, and former chair of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board. Clausen presently serves as board president of Midwest Environmental Advocates .

The infectivity range of CWD is another significant unknown. When one species door is closed, another may serve as a Trojan horse. Hamsters were originally thought to be immune to CWD, while ferrets were easily infected. “Take deer CWD and infect the ferret. Take the ferret CWD and infect the hamster. Boom. The hamster can’t be infected by the deer, but is susceptible to the ferret. These prions are constantly evolving and changing,” Clausen explains.

“The question is sitting there: If CWD is able to get into livestock or swine, could it be transmitted in feedstuffs?” he adds.

Echoing Clausen’s query, is CWD passed along in agricultural plant matter exposed to urine, feces or carcass material? Prions form a chemical bond with plant surfaces and also bind to some soil particles, according to Richards. “After dipping plant leaves in prion proteins, researchers haven’t been able to wash off the prions. There isn’t enough science yet, but it’s been shown that plants can pick up proteins in the soil matrix through their roots and deposit those proteins in shoots and leaves, likely in flowers as well,” he explains. “Is the infectivity still there and is the concentration enough to transmit disease?”

Uptake in a laboratory isn’t real-world confirmation, but Richards finds the implications disturbing. In addition, CWD expansion across the U.S. compounds the infectivity issue. “With the geographic footprint of CWD greatly expanded, we have to ask if plant material really moves infectious material. We have to contemplate the question because agriculture would be such a huge mechanism for disease movement,” he says.

In theory, take a county with a 40% CWD rate in a whitetail population. If 20 whitetail typically feed in-and-out of a given wheat field, eight of those deer are CWD-positive. An adult deer defecates roughly 12 times per day and urinates at a higher frequency. After harvest, if the wheat straw is rolled, statistical probability places a good deal of fecal material in the bales. “It’s not a far-fetched idea for infectious material to move in agricultural commodities,” Richards says. “This is not really on the ag industry radar, but it comes up regularly in conversations among scientists. We don’t know if transmission happens, but it must be kept on the radar screen.”

“There was once a time when people said mad cow disease could never cross the species barrier. Almost 300 human deaths and an industry disaster later, it’s pretty simple to see why we keep on conducting the science and relying strictly on what the evidence shows,” he adds.

Nichols cites several studies where plant roots grown in hydroponic or spiked soil solutions were exposed to CWD material. The stem and leaf tissue subsequently tested positive for infected prions, despite no contact with the CWD material. However, high levels of laboratory exposure don’t necessarily equate with field environments. “The results are disconcerting, but what really matters is what happens in the real world. The next level of inquiry is to find out if there is any threat via agriculture crops,” Nichols says.

“There is no scientific conclusion, but the questions raised could impact international trade. Right now, we don’t know what, if any, threat exists,” she continues.

Clausen takes a dim view of CWD containment and believes the disease will continue to creep into additional states: “I’m a country boy. Basic epidemiology of disease control is to contain and quarantine. Deer farm or deer carcass, we have to prevent the movement of all CWD material, dead or alive.”

It is incumbent on the agriculture industry to consider the ramifications of CWD spread through agricultural commodities, according to Clausen. “Sometimes we just seem to bounce from crisis to crisis without enough preparation or foresight. Corn or alfalfa, CWD uptake has been demonstrated in plants. Whether the uptake is infectious, that research hasn’t been done.”

“Everyone at least needs to wake up to the potential of CWD to move in crops because it would shake up agriculture as we know it,” Clausen says. “We’re all responsible to take a precautionary approach and consider what could happen.”