By Kay Russo, DVM, MAHM, DACPV
RSM Consulting
Being featured on “60 Minutes” in April was uncomfortable for me, but it has brought a lot of folks out of the woodwork asking me what we, as agriculture veterinarians, industry and the US as a whole, should do to get in front of the H5N1 virus.
Although the focus on the zoonotic risk in this episode was relevant, it most assuredly turned off those who distrust public health, science and vaccines in the wake of the COVID pandemic.
This does not have to be a human pandemic to be devastating. Because of this virus, we’ve lost nearly 170 million commercial birds and countless domestic and wild mammals and birds since 2022.
It has compromised our food security, driven up egg and grocery prices and has had terrible welfare impacts on the animals in our care. Additionally, the outbreak has mental health and financial impacts for producers, animal caregivers and rural economies.
From a high-level perspective, this is what I believe we need to get in front of it:
1. Honesty and data
The narrow focus on only “routinely” testing lactating dairy cows, milk and commercial poultry ignores several other susceptible hosts that may be contributing to the spillovers and the viral ecology. Without consistent testing of all at-risk species (cows, pigs, horses, wildlife, etc.) within, for example, a 6-mile (10 kilometer) zone of a poultry outbreak, we are left with potential blind spots, which may cause re-infections. We need more lab resources and funding to make this testing happen.
2. Epidemiology
Epidemiological investigations during an outbreak are vital to characterize viral movement patterns so that we can cut off the outbreak strategically. But we need real investigations, not smoke-and-mirror-type investigations that are merely for show.
3. Risk-based modeling
Data from the epidemiological investigations need to drive risk-based modeling, helping guide control and animal/product-movement strategies.
4. Renegotiate trade agreements
Trade agreements need to be renegotiated as soon as possible so we can tease away the layers/turkeys/cattle from broilers that rely heavily on the export market. We need both biosecurity and vaccines to control this! Considering either one separately as optimally effective is disingenuous. If the poultry sector remains divided on vaccination, we will continue to fail.
5. Point-of-care testing
This is a bias of mine. I believe we need point-of-care testing in both animals and humans to drive boots-on-the-ground-level decisions to avoid disease spread.
6. Incentivize biosecurity
Many modern farms have been built for production efficiency, not biosecurity. That’s fine, until you get hit with a disease like avian flu. Dairy producers are often independent, relying on cooperatives to buy their milk. I assume this is why many were afraid when their cattle became infected, because they could have lost the market for their milk. The cooperatives and processors should be active in this solution and incentivize biosecurity, like incentivizing milk quality. This will help us in the long run for the next disease challenge.
I’ve received feedback that “bird flu” is a scam, and I’m spreading lies. I honestly hope that at the end of this, we’ve done our jobs, and people can point at us and say we are scam artists. That is how I’ll know I’ve been successful.
To view Dr. Russo’s “60 Minutes” interview, click here.
Editor’s note: The opinions and/or recommendations presented in this article belong to the author and are not necessarily shared by Modern Poultry.
