NMPF, Farm Respond to Avian Influenza Cases With Information, Guidance

NMPF and the FARM Program helped guide dairy farmers through an emerging biosecurity concern with timely, accurate information and industry-leading resources as the first cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) appeared in U.S. dairy cattle.

While the scope of bird flu in dairy is limited – a handful of cases scatted among several states – and no risk is being posed toward consumers, the new challenge has galvanized the industry toward identifying best practices in containing illness and minimizing impacts on dairy farmers and processors, with NMPF serving as a central information resource and FARM Biosecurity proving its value as an essential resource for farmers and dairy companies.

NMPF Chief Science Officer Dr. Jamie Jonker served as a leading industry expert and spokesperson shortly after the first USDA confirmation of HPAI in Texas dairy cattle March 25. Working with Senior Director of Communications Theresa Murphy, NMPF began crafting member alerts offering resources and information to farmers the previous week. Since then, NMPF has released five more alerts and created a web page dedicated to bird flu information, complementing the FARM Program’s Biosecurity page as a critical resource to manage bird flu-related challenges.