FILE – A line of Holstein dairy cows feed through a fence at a dairy farm in Idaho on March 11, 2009. As of April 11, 2024, a strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has been found in at least 24 dairy cow herds in eight U.S. states: Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Idaho, Michigan and North Carolina and South Dakota. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield, File)

Thursday Governor Kim Reynolds sent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack a letter urging the USDA to prioritize and expedite the approval process for animal vaccines designed to combat foreign animal diseases and other diseases threatening the U.S agriculture industry.

The Governor’s office released the following excerpt from the letter:

Animal diseases pose significant threats to the agricultural industry, jeopardizing animal health, food security, and economic stability. The recent outbreaks of diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle and poultry, as well as the recent outbreak of Avian Metapneumovirus (aMPV) in Iowa turkey farms, underscores the need for proactive measures to prevent and control future outbreaks. Vaccine development and approvals are critical to ensure the health and safety of our nation’s livestock and poultry operations.

Another Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu, the third human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows, health officials said Thursday.

You can read the full letter here.

  

WE WANT YOU!

are you a developer?

  • Proven International Track Record
  • Vertically Integrated Federal Funds
  • Vertically Integrated Tax Credits
  • Vertically Integrated Investors
  • Vertically Integrated Lenders
  • Vertically Integrated Contractors