USDA Focused On Fighting Avian Influenza

When it comes to responding to reported detections of high path avian influenza, currently compared to the infamous bird flu outbreak of 2015, "we are in a much better place now than we were before," noted Dr. Rosemary Sifford, with USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. She said compared to the 2015 situation, producers are reporting sick birds much faster than seven years ago. Though ab testing and confirmation is a lot faster.

"We are also faster at moving in and being able to depopulate the birds quickly.  The companies and the states have added equipment and either staff, or contractors available to do that kind of work.  As well as we've added that kind of equipment and contractors to our national veterinary stockpile and we have those resources staged in different places around the country so that we are able to more quickly respond."

At last report, there were detections confirmed in 18 States, dispersed over a wide area.

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