Pennsylvania is experiencing its most severe avian flu outbreak since the 1980s, prompting Governor Josh Shapiro to announce additional resources to support poultry farmers in the state. A team of over 40 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees is actively working across Pennsylvania to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Shapiro is also forming a dedicated avian flu response team to enhance testing and biosecurity measures following discussions with agriculture experts, including Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russel Redding.”We spent some time with Governor Shapiro talking about this and, in the context of how are we responding and what we need to do,” Redding said. “And it’s comforting to know that, you know, Pennsylvania has a recovery fund, unlike, any other state, there’s not a state in the country that has a recovery fund.”Redding emphasized the importance of the recovery fund, noting that it addresses not only the immediate concerns of affected farms but also the broader community impact. He described the current outbreak as the hardest hit Pennsylvania has been with avian flu since the 1980s.Grant Gulibon from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau a period he referred to as one of the most devastating disasters in the state’s history.He0 highlighted the lessons learned since the 1980s, including the implementation of statewide testing labs. “The state has put resources behind response testing, biosecurity, all things, to either be better at preventing, avian influenza from spreading and also at the same time having more rapid and efficient response whenever it does happen,” Gulibon said.Biosecurity measures aim to ensure that what is on the farm stays on the farm, preventing external contamination. Gulibon expressed optimism that the situation would improve by summertime when warmer weather helps reduce the virus’s spread and migrating birds settle.”Avian flu unfortunately is going to be a fact of life for us,” Gulibon said. “But we what we are doing right now has the best potential to minimize that spread, minimize the impact to the consumer, minimize the impact of the farmer, and also to those who must respond whenever these disasters happen.”According to the USDA, 7.23 million birds are affected by avian flu across the country as of February 17th, with 5.5 million of those in Pennsylvania, primarily in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania is the only state with a dedicated Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) fund, providing grants to impacted farms to compensate for losses.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —
Pennsylvania is experiencing its most severe avian flu outbreak since the 1980s, prompting Governor Josh Shapiro to announce additional resources to support poultry farmers in the state. A team of over 40 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees is actively working across Pennsylvania to help mitigate the spread of the virus. Shapiro is also forming a dedicated avian flu response team to enhance testing and biosecurity measures following discussions with agriculture experts, including Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russel Redding.
“We spent some time with Governor Shapiro talking about this and, in the context of how are we responding and what we need to do,” Redding said. “And it’s comforting to know that, you know, Pennsylvania has a recovery fund, unlike, any other state, there’s not a state in the country that has a recovery fund.”
Redding emphasized the importance of the recovery fund, noting that it addresses not only the immediate concerns of affected farms but also the broader community impact. He described the current outbreak as the hardest hit Pennsylvania has been with avian flu since the 1980s.
Grant Gulibon from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau a period he referred to as one of the most devastating disasters in the state’s history.
He0 highlighted the lessons learned since the 1980s, including the implementation of statewide testing labs. “The state has put resources behind response testing, biosecurity, all things, to either be better at preventing, avian influenza from spreading and also at the same time having more rapid and efficient response whenever it does happen,” Gulibon said.
Biosecurity measures aim to ensure that what is on the farm stays on the farm, preventing external contamination. Gulibon expressed optimism that the situation would improve by summertime when warmer weather helps reduce the virus’s spread and migrating birds settle.
“Avian flu unfortunately is going to be a fact of life for us,” Gulibon said. “But we what we are doing right now has the best potential to minimize that spread, minimize the impact to the consumer, minimize the impact of the farmer, and also to those who must respond whenever these disasters happen.”
According to the USDA, 7.23 million birds are affected by avian flu across the country as of February 17th, with 5.5 million of those in Pennsylvania, primarily in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania is the only state with a dedicated Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) fund, providing grants to impacted farms to compensate for losses.