As part of its ongoing efforts to stop the further spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and give farmers tools to help combat the disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is today announcing an interim final rule that updates the conditions for poultry facilities to receive indemnity and compensation after testing positive for HPAI. Based on evidence that strong biosecurity measures remain the most effective strategy to combat HPAI, APHIS will now require that farmers undergo a biosecurity audit before restocking their poultry after an HPAI detection, and before receiving future indemnity payments.
Despite the combined efforts of APHIS, state and federal veterinary officials, and industry outreach, some poultry farmers continue to face biosecurity challenges and, in some cases, experience multiple infections on their farms. Data from the 2022-2024 HPAI outbreak has shown that updated regulations can help to prevent further spread of this disease. This change follows significant outreach to industry about potential changes to regulations, information sharing about biosecurity best practices, and on-farm engagement by APHIS staff following HPAI detections.
“During the outbreak of HPAI in 2014 and 2015, U.S. poultry owners made great improvements to biosecurity to protect their flocks, which greatly reduced the presence of HPAI among the country’s poultry flock,” said Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer. “Biosecurity is proven to be our best weapon in fighting this virus, and this update will ensure that poultry producers who received indemnity for HPAI are taking measures to stop future introductions of the disease and avoiding actions that contribute to its spread.”
Data shows that most poultry farmers have in place strong biosecurity plans and are able to prevent reinfection. Since the beginning of the current HPAI outbreak in 2022, APHIS has made indemnity payments to over 1,200 producers; of these, 67 unique commercial poultry premises have had at least two HPAI infections during the current outbreak, including 18 premises infected three or more times. Those with reinfections have received over $365 million in indemnity payments, out of nearly $1.1 billion that has been distributed in total.