The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a report on planning and preparations for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in advance of a potential recurrence of the disease when birds migrate south this fall, the agency said in a Sept. 18 press release.
The HPAI outbreak that devastated poultry producers during the winter and spring of 2015 was the worst animal disease in U.S. history. It affected more than 48.8 million birds and 21 states before the last diagnosed cae on June 17. The press release said APHIS and its partners have used the time since the last positive detection to plan for the return of the disease using a hypothetical worst-case scenario.
APHIS' planning activities incorporated experience from this year's response effort, epidemiologic studies and extensive feedback and input gathered from state partners, industry, academia and other stakeholders. The Fall 2015 HPAI Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan details the results, organizing information on preparatory activities, policy decisions and updated strategy documents into four key areas: Preventing or reducing future outbreaks; enhancing preparedness; improving and streamlining response capabilities and preparing for the potential use of AI vaccines.
The report includes an updated biosecurity self-assessment for the poultry industry, streamlined and updated procedures for providing indemnity and other payments, a draft vaccine use strategy and many other items of interest to the agency's stakeholders.
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