March 24, 2025

USDA launches biosecurity assessment programmes for poultry farms

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the introduction of two biosecurity assessment programmes for commercial poultry farms - one programme focuses on wildlife hazards, while the other reviews biosecurity plans and measures.

These initiatives are part of broader efforts to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. They align with the USDA's emergency funding allocation of up to US$1 billion, announced last month by Secretary Brooke Rollins.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will oversee the implementation of both programmes, which are available to all poultry facilities that are not currently affected by outbreaks. The wildlife assessments will provide recommendations on facility repairs and wildlife management strategies, including monitoring hazards, wildlife populations, and mitigation measures.

For biosecurity assessments, APHIS veterinary specialists will collaborate with poultry producers to evaluate existing biosecurity plans and identify any weaknesses. While these programmes are open to all commercial producers, priority will be given to commercial egg-layer facilities in the largest egg-producing states as part of efforts to stabilise egg prices.

Following the recent detection of highly pathogenic H7N9 avian influenza at a Mississippi broiler farm, APHIS has provided further details. The agency reported that certain North American low-pathogenic H7 viruses identified through wild bird surveillance are closely related to the highly pathogenic H7N9 strain, suggesting a recent spillover from a low-pathogenic wild bird virus.

Over the past two days, APHIS has confirmed two additional poultry outbreaks. One involved a commercial egg pullet farm in Iowa's Buena Vista County, which houses approximately 400,000 birds. The other outbreak affected a backyard flock of 110 birds in Woodward County, Oklahoma.

APHIS has also confirmed three more cases of H5N1 in dairy cattle in Idaho, bringing the total number of affected herds to 989 across 17 states. While the national outbreak rate has slowed, Idaho has reported six outbreaks since the end of February.

- University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP)