The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently held a stakeholder briefing call to take a deep dive into its response to High-Path Avian Flu.
Secretary Brooke Rollins provided an update on her five-point strategy to address the virus.
“USDA will prioritize one or more of the following. First development of novel therapeutics to address HPI in poultry. Second to research to further understand the risk pathways of avian influenza for producers and to inform improved biosecurity and response strategies... And then finally, the development of global vaccines to protect HPI while promoting biosecurity will all be part of the research funding opportunity that we announced about an hour and a half ago.
“USDA will test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions to prevent bird flu and treat infected flocks. USDA In consultation with HHS, I’ve already had multiple conversations with Secretary Kennedy and leaders in the NIH and CDC. But we’ll also be exploring prevention strategies to promote biosecurity in agriculture and in humans to ensure limited impact on American farmers.”
USDA is offering a webinar to assist those interested in learning more about the funding opportunity and how to submit a program. That will be held on Tuesday, April 1st at 12:00 PM Eastern.