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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues efforts on many fronts to mitigate the latest outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the United States. This pervasive virus is carried in wild, migratory birds and typically peaks in the spring and summer months in the United States.
As part of USDA's commitment to leave no stone unturned in this fight, on April 13, 2023, the department held a stakeholder roundtable with poultry industry leaders and state government officials to discuss the current and future HPAI strategy and opportunities for continued collaboration.
Participants had the opportunity to hear from USDA leaders including Acting Deputy Secretary Kevin Shea, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Moffitt and other experts from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is leading on biosecurity measures, and the Agricultural Research Service, which is testing a number of
potential vaccines.
"Since the first case of HPAI was confirmed in a commercial flock in the U.S. in Feb. 2022, USDA has followed Secretary Vilsack's clear direction to quickly identify cases and respond immediately to stop the virus from spreading," Shea said. "Thanks to collaborative state and industry partnerships and enhanced national animal disease preparedness and response capabilities, we are successfully controlling this outbreak and mitigating its impact on U.S. poultry production and trade."