WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging poultry and livestock producers to stay vigilant against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as fall bird migration begins.
Cases declined during the summer months, but the seasonal movement of wild birds raises renewed concerns about the virus’s spread.
USDA Under Secretary of Marketing & Regulatory Programs Dudley Hoskins says basic biosecurity practices remain essential to reducing transmission risks at agricultural facilities.
“Think about clothing, think about your footwear, where you’ve been, washing your hands, what facility you may have been at that morning versus where you may be going that afternoon,” Hoskins said. “Anything you can do just to maintain vigilance and awareness of those kinds of fundamental principles is really what we’re asking people to do.”
While poultry remains a primary concern, cattle producers are also monitoring the virus because dairy cattle are susceptible to HPAI. Hoskins says education and prevention efforts need to extend beyond farm operations.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is working to mitigate the virus’s impact on American agriculture and producers. Hoskins says producers can help by educating employees, visitors, and people outside the farm gate about biosecurity practices.
The current HPAI outbreak began in early 2022. USDA reports that approximately 31 million birds have been culled as part of the response. That figure does not mean every bird was confirmed to be infected, as depopulation may include birds exposed to the virus as part of disease-control efforts.
