APHIS Updates HPAI Response Materials

Written by M. Sean High

On August 31, 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted an update to the agency’s Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) response documents.  Titled ContactPremises, this latest document reflects a concerted effort by APHIS to proactively deal with HPAI issues.

According to APHIS, a location is deemed a Contact Premise when that location is determined to “have susceptible poultry that may have been exposed to the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, either directly or indirectly, including but not limited to exposure to susceptible poultry, poultry products, fomites, or people from Infected Premises.”

According to the Contract Premises document, a Contact Premises is identified through the tracing-back or tracing-forward of all movements (human, vehicle, animal, etc.) from HPAI Infected Premises.  If a Contract Premise is identified, depopulation may be authorized where HPAI is suspected.  A positive HPAI test not required.

Furthermore, APHIS will provide indemnity for the depopulation of Contact Premises poultry flocks that have been properly authorized for depopulated by APHIS and state officials.  The information necessary for indemnity will be collected from barn records after a Contact Premise is identified through movement tracing, and prior to an epidemiological investigation and any subsequent flock depopulation.

APHIS Updates HPAI Documents

Written by M. Sean High

In an effort to more efficiently respond to possible outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has recently issued updates to many of the department’s foreign animal disease preparedness and response plan materials (FAD PReP).  Of particular interest to poultry owners will likely be the newly streamlined procedures regarding appraisal and indemnity. 

According to the document titled Appraisal & Indemnity Procedures and dated August 19, 2015, “[t]he best practices to contain and eradicate [HPAI] by ‘stamping-out’ within 24 hours of detection will require rapid depopulation, appraisal, and indemnity procedures.” To accomplish these goals, state animal health officials and APHIS are no longer required to wait for a positive HPAI test result prior to authorizing depopulation.  Instead, these officials may now approve depopulation when HPAI is suspected.
  

Additionally, poultry owners are no longer required to have a signed flock plan prior to receiving indemnity payments.  A flock plan, however, will still be required if a poultry owner will is seeking APHIS disposal assistance or APHIS cleaning and disinfection assistance.

It is important to note that all APHIS FAD PReP materials are subject to change.  As a result, interested individuals should always consult the FAD PReP Materials andReferences webpage for the latest department revisions.

Vilsack Speaks at Conference on Avian Influenza

On July 28, 2015, at a two day conference called, “Avian Influenza Outbreak…Lessons Learned,” in Des Moines, Iowa, Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture and Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad, gave speeches concerning the avian influenza outbreak.  The conference is closed to the media and public, other than the speeches, in order to ensure open discussion on how responses to the last outbreak went wrong and how future responses can be improved.

According to the Associated Press, Vilsack in his speech commented it would be beneficial to implement a disaster program for poultry producers that would be similar to what is already in place for livestock producers.  The government expects to spend 191 million through its indemnification program and between 350-400 million on the cleanup and depopulation of infected birds.  Vilsack stated there was a proposed insurance program within the 2014 farm bill but was cut due to budgetary considerations.

Vilsack commented during questioning for reporters that if this moves to the East Coast the impact could be quickly outpace the impact of the last outbreak.  Vilsack remarked the process of handling future outbreaks needs to be updated in multiple areas including the indemnification process, how to dispose of the birds and the depopulation of the birds.

To hear a recording of the question session with reporters,click here.

Written by Katharine Richter - Research Assistant

July 29, 2015