NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — As the spring migratory season gets underway, concerns are rising across farm country about the continued spread of Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, and its potential impact on poultry and other livestock.
Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are urging producers to remain vigilant and take extra steps to strengthen biosecurity measures on their operations.
“We’re asking all of our producer partners—whether it’s layers, broilers, turkey, dairy, or any other adjacent production system—please be vigilant,” an official said. “We need sound biosecurity practices. It’s not just what’s happening on that one facility; there’s risk of lateral transmissions.”
The current strain of the virus has been detected in both wild birds and domestic flocks across the United States, increasing the risk of exposure as migratory patterns bring infected birds into new areas.
USDA officials say there are resources available to help producers assess risks and improve on-farm protections.
“We have a number of different tools—wildlife biosecurity assessments, different audits we can help them with. Some of those are voluntary,” the official added. “We have different resources available to producers if they want to mitigate or address some of the biosecurity vulnerabilities. So please go to the APHIS website, look up those resources, tell us what we can do to be helpful to you—but biosecurity is paramount.”
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service offers a range of tools and guidance designed to help producers prevent the spread of bird flu and protect their operations.
Producers can find more information and access available resources on HPAI, visit: www.aphis.usda.gov/h5n1-hpai
