News

NASDA working on combatting HPAI

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture is collaborating with government agencies in its efforts to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Senior director of public policy RJ Karney says the organization recently amended their policy to align with USDA’s national action plan.

“That’s going to be focused on detection, surveillance response, and a plan that’s really going to be most combative to the spread of high path,” he says.

He tells Brownfield they are working with Congress on the HPAI Act to address the short-term and long-term impacts of the disease.

“The loss of livestock, financial losses, market disruptions, increased cost of disease control,” he says. “We’re also looking at long term recovery and reputation to make sure our state departments of ag and our state vets are at the table working together from a federal and state standpoint.”

Karney says there continues to be discussions surrounding the use of therapeutics to curb the spread of the virus.

AUDIO: RJ Karney, NASDA