Nearly 38,000 Birds Across Virginia Have Been Affected by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Since January 2022

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger — the only Virginian on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee — joined a bipartisan group of fellow committee members in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a new, comprehensive effort to combat the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), otherwise known as “bird flu.”

HPAI is a contagious viral disease that primarily infects wild birds and domestic poultry, but can also infect mammals — such as dairy cattle and, in one rare case, a human. Since January 2022, HPAI has been detected in commercial poultry, wild aquatic birds, and backyard or hobbyist flocks in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2022 outbreak has affected nearly 38,000 birds across Virginia and more than 100 million birds across the country. Earlier this year, state veterinarians with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources warned that the Department had received an increasing number of reports of sick or dead birds — coinciding with an uptick in wild bird infections across the country.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Spanberger and her colleagues urged USDA to establish a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strategic Initiative within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The lawmakers also encouraged USDA to partner with land-grant universities, dairy and poultry producers, and other experts to develop new, innovative solutions to combat the spread of HPAI. Specifically, this initiative would focus on developing advanced biosecurity measures, expanding vaccine research, and improving methods for managing infected flocks. The lawmakers also underscored the severe economic and production losses due to the ongoing HPAI outbreak.

“The current Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that began in February 2022 has decimated our poultry production – affecting over 100 million birds so far across 48 states,” wrote Spanberger and her colleagues. “We believe that this deadly and costly disease requires a new, dynamic approach to bring long-lasting benefits to our farmers and producers.”

The lawmakers continued, “Unprecedented times require action, and establishing an initiative that brings the brightest minds together to discover effective methods to combat HPAI will be essential to eventually eradicate this disease and protect our farmers. An initiative has the opportunity to not only stabilize economic and health conditions for our producers, but also save taxpayer dollars by addressing the problem at its core and attempting to stamp out the disease completely.”

This effort was led by U.S. Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA-04), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), and Don Davis (D-NC-01).

Click here to read the letter, and the full letter text is below.

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Dear Secretary Vilsack,

The current Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak that began in February 2022 has decimated our poultry production – affecting over 100 million birds so far across 48 states. As a result, more than $1 billion in indemnity payments have been paid out to our producers and the total economic cost to the U.S. will most certainly surpass the $3.3 billion that we saw during the 2014-2015 HPAI outbreak. It is obvious that the current outbreak has no end in sight, and this is highlighted by HPAI expanding to at least 169 dairies as of July 24, 2024.

We believe that this deadly and costly disease requires a new, dynamic approach to bring long-lasting benefits to our farmers and producers. Therefore, we urge you to establish a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Strategic Initiative within USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Unprecedented times require action, and establishing an initiative that brings the brightest minds together to discover effective methods to combat HPAI will be essential to eventually eradicate this disease and protect our farmers.

An initiative has the opportunity to not only stabilize economic and health conditions for our producers, but also save taxpayer dollars by addressing the problem at its core and attempting to stamp out the disease completely. It also will ensure the most scientifically sound policy decisions are made going forward, helping to answer questions and address concerns regarding domestic and international market access for U.S. agricultural products.

USDA has the authority to establish this initiative as evidenced by the E. coli consortium that began in 2012 and received $25 million dollars in funding. Similar to the E. coli project, we urge you to collaborate with land-grant universities and establish a research team composed of those who have worked extensively on HPAI or similar issues, with the lead being located in close proximity to both research facilities and producers on the ground impacted by the outbreak.

The main objectives of the research are outlined below, but we encourage you to engage with Congress (including the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees), land-grant universities, dairy and poultry producers, state and federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and other relevant experts to develop additional goals.

1. Advanced biosecurity measures and wild bird deterrents: Developing new, innovative biosecurity methods, including those to deter wild birds, is crucial for preventing future HPAI outbreaks.
2. Vaccination: As countries around the world adopt vaccines, we should continue to prioritize research on potential vaccine traceability, efficacy, and development of a cost-effective, mass-use vaccine. This research should in no way disrupt international trade or damage our relationships with our foreign trading partners but instead guide future conversations with our key trading allies.
3. Efficient depopulation methods and bird disposal processes: Finding more efficient, cost-effective, and humane ways to depopulate infected flocks will help producers respond to any future outbreaks.

We look forward to hearing from you and working with you to get a HPAI Strategic Initiative off the ground for the betterment of our farmers, producers, and rural communities.

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