The USDA will assign $22.2 million to the Animal and Health Inspection Service to implement 81 projects in 48 states.  Activities will be conducted by universities, industry organizations and state veterinary diagnostic laboratories. Funds will be assigned from the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program funded in 2018.

Jenny L. Moffitt Under Secretary for USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs noted, “Bolstering animal disease preparedness is critical because these diseases devastate livestock and hardworking farmers whose animals are affected and threaten America’s access to safe, healthy, affordable food.”

It is hoped that APHIS will assign resources to an epidemiologic investigation of avian influenza.  Since 2022, over 80 million commercial birds have been depopulated with only lip service to epidemiologic studies that could provide meaningful improvements in prevention and control.  The Agency continually and justifiably promotes “biosecurity” as a principle but without considering specifics relating to structural and operational biosecurity. APHIS fails to relate the probability of exposure with various types of commercial farms and to consider the structure and organization of the various industry segments.  From direct personal contact with middle-level federal Veterinarians, it is evident that epidemiologic studies leading to prevention have been largely downplayed with a concentration on the reactive cycle of detection, depopulation, quarantine and decontamination.

APHIS continues with a policy of attempting to eradicate a disease that is both regionally and seasonally endemic.  This King Canute approach draws heavily on Commodity Credit Corporation funding. This is costly to public agencies, producers and ultimately consumers.

Projects that should be considered include:

• Confirmation of aerogenous transmission of avian influenza virus.

• Determining the duration of shedding of virus by migratory waterfowl and domestic birds following infection.

• Persistence of virus in soil and water over a range of conditions as influenced by temperature, humidity and intensity of exposure to sunlight on soil and impervious surfaces.

• Establishing risk factors for introduction of infection onto large egg production complexes in addition to contractor broiler, turkey, and breeder farms using real time field and molecular epidemiology.

• Expedite the evaluation of available commercial avian influenza vaccines and formulate a policy for their deployment.

A number of legislators including Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have developed a sudden interest in H5N1 now that it has emerged in the dairy industry.  Senator Grassley is correct in encouraging communication among federal agencies involving specialists in virology, epidemiology, wildlife biology and other disciplines necessary to develop integrated programs to control catastrophic diseases.

Parochial concerns as expressed by the Commissioner of Agriculture of the state of Texas dissuading cooperation into investigations into the source and prevalence of bovine influenza-H5N1 are unconstructive. Resistance to cooperation with federal agencies may delay prevention and spread and contribute to the remote possibility of emergence of a strain of H5N1 pathogenic to humans and capable of person-to-person spread. In the unlikely event of emergence of a zoonotic form of H5N1 he and those who oppose scientific investigation and reality will have a lot to answer for. The Commissioner will be removing his ostentatiously large and pristinely white trademark Stetson at numerous funerals—but let us work together to obviate this eventuality. We are not China.  We face reality. We do not suppress science. We work to achieve the best possible outcome when faced with challenges of disease and climate. Or do we? Naah!