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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Urged to Implement Dairy Cattle Vaccine Strategy Against HPAI

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Urged to Implement Dairy Cattle Vaccine Strategy Against HPAI

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has received a letter from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and the National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials (NASAHO), urging the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt a voluntary national emergency vaccination framework for dairy cattle. This initiative, proposed to begin with a limited pilot program, aims to combat the continued circulation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy herds. The organizations emphasize that while existing measures like surveillance, biosecurity, and movement management are crucial, vaccines are a necessary additional tool. As of July 2025, 17 states have reported commercial poultry losses linked to dairy operations, with 115 domestic flocks infected by the B3.13 strain, leading to the loss of over 36 million birds and an estimated $360 million in indemnity costs. Some affected dairies have experienced revenue losses up to $700,000, highlighting the severe economic impac...
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How the US was left exposed to the flesh-eating screwworm, years into the outbreak

How the US was left exposed to the flesh-eating screwworm, years into the outbreak

MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - For decades, planes dropped billions of factory-bred sterile flies to keep the flesh-eating New World screwworm out of North America’s cattle. That controls the pest because sterile males mate with wild females – whose eggs then fail to hatch.
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Wisconsin Urges Poultry and Dairy Producers to Enhance Biosecurity Amid HPAI Bird Migration

Wisconsin Urges Poultry and Dairy Producers to Enhance Biosecurity Amid HPAI Bird Migration

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is urging poultry and livestock producers to implement heightened biosecurity measures as wild bird migration continues across the state. This comes after eight Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) detections in Wisconsin poultry this year, with four occurring since September, and one confirmed detection in a Wisconsin dairy herd. Migrating wild birds are known carriers of the virus, capable of spreading it to domestic animals through contact with farm animals, feed, water sources, or equipment. State and federal agencies, including DATCP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are emphasizing the importance of reviewing and strengthening biosecurity practices for all types of producers.
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Arizona Confirms Five Cases of New World Screwworm in Animals, Prompting Veterinary Alert

Arizona Confirms Five Cases of New World Screwworm in Animals, Prompting Veterinary Alert

Arizona officials have confirmed five cases of New World screwworm in animals, including two dogs, two horses, and a sheep. These cases were identified in Cochise, Greenlee, and Graham counties, with one dog having no known travel history, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture. The New World screwworm is a parasitic fly whose larvae burrow into the living flesh of warm-blooded animals, feeding on tissue and potentially causing severe, even fatal, damage. Female flies lay eggs in open wounds, which then hatch into larvae. Dr. Mindy Bemmerl, director of veterinary medicine at the Arizona Humane Society, emphasized that even small wounds can become infested. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is actively working to control the outbreak by releasing sterile male screwworm flies, a strategy designed to reduce the fly population by preventing viable egg production.
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USDA Expected to Adjust U.S. Corn and Soybean Yield Estimates Amidst AI Data Concerns

USDA Expected to Adjust U.S. Corn and Soybean Yield Estimates Amidst AI Data Concerns

USDA Expected to Adjust U.S. Corn and Soybean Yield Estimates Amidst AI Data Concerns
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Arizona Officials Host Forum on Newly Detected Parasitic Screwworm Threat

Arizona Officials Host Forum on Newly Detected Parasitic Screwworm Threat

Public health experts and community leaders in Arizona are hosting an informational forum to discuss the recent detection of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The event, titled "Talk About It Tuesdays," will take place on Tuesday, November 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Drachman Hall Room B109 on the University of Arizona campus, with an online option via Zoom. Officials from the University of Arizona College of Public Health state that the pest has been detected in Arizona, raising concerns among local agricultural and health agencies. Panelists will include health professionals from the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Pima County Health Department, the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and the Pima Animal Care Center. The forum aims to inform the public on how to protect animals, what to look for when traveling, and how the community can respond to the detection...
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UN Report Warns Heatwaves Threaten Global Agriculture and Food Security

UN Report Warns Heatwaves Threaten Global Agriculture and Food Security

A joint report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), titled 'Extreme Heat and Agriculture,' warns that increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves are disrupting global agricultural production and threatening food security. The report highlights that rising temperatures are a critical hazard to food production, impacting billions of livelihoods and causing immediate economic and nutritional damage, particularly in vulnerable farming communities. In Punjab's rain-fed rural areas, fruit productivity has dropped by up to 50%, and livestock operations are severely affected, with reduced milk production and increased disease outbreaks. These agricultural losses lead to reduced household incomes and limit access to healthy diets for rural families, a crisis compounded by accelerated spoilage of perishable goods. Women in these communities bear a disproportionate burden due to their heavy involvement in outdoor agricultural labor, increasing their risk o...
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Texas Animal Health Commission Expands New World Screwworm Infested Zone to Include Scurry County

Texas Animal Health Commission Expands New World Screwworm Infested Zone to Include Scurry County

The Texas Animal Health Commission has designated Scurry County as part of a New World Screwworm infested zone, placing it under close state observation. This decision follows the detection of a New World Screwworm case in nearby Mitchell County, southeast of Snyder. In addition to Scurry County, Fisher and Nolan Counties are also included in this infested zone. The New World Screwworm is a fly larva that burrows into the living flesh of animals and, rarely, humans, posing a significant threat to livestock and wildlife. This parasite was largely eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s but has recently reappeared in Mexico in 2024, leading to subsequent detections in the United States. Under guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), movement restrictions and surveillance within the infested zone will remain active for a minimum of three months after the final positive case is confirmed. The Texas Animal Health Commission is urging vigilance and prompt reporting of any suspicious cases to help con...
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University of Idaho's Palouse Center Monitors Sheep Flock for Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus

University of Idaho's Palouse Center Monitors Sheep Flock for Ovine Progressive Pneumonia Virus

The Palouse Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC) at the University of Idaho is actively monitoring its breeding ewe flock for Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP) virus. The center, which houses approximately 200 Suffolks, Targhees, and Polypays, regularly tests all breeding animals for OPP. This initiative is part of PREEC's broader mission to conduct research and extension projects in plant and animal sciences. The center provides facilities and support staff for research, teaching, and extension programs aimed at benefiting the sheep industry in Idaho. Additionally, it offers hands-on experience for undergraduate animal and veterinary science students from both the University of Idaho and Washington State University, covering aspects like sheep handling, lambing, shearing, breeding, feeding, vaccinating, and marketing. The center spans 126 acres, including a lambing barn, intensive-care barn, nine paddocks, and a residence for the farm manager.
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Irish Potato Famine of 1845 Highlights Risks of Monoculture in Agriculture

Irish Potato Famine of 1845 Highlights Risks of Monoculture in Agriculture

The Irish Potato Famine of 1845 serves as a historical example of the devastating consequences of relying on a single crop variety. In Ireland, farmers predominantly cultivated one type of potato, which unfortunately proved highly susceptible to blight, a destructive fungus-like pathogen. When Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen responsible for potato blight, spread, it rapidly destroyed entire potato crops. For many impoverished individuals in Ireland, potatoes constituted their primary food source. The widespread failure of this single crop led to severe food shortages and widespread famine. This historical event underscores the vulnerability inherent in agricultural systems that lack biodiversity and depend heavily on a limited number of crop varieties.
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OECD Warns of Significant Retirement Savings Gaps Across Europe

OECD Warns of Significant Retirement Savings Gaps Across Europe

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has issued a warning regarding substantial retirement savings gaps across Europe. According to its Pensions Outlook 2026, mandatory pension systems in 22 out of 30 European countries are projected to fall short of the OECD's target retirement income, which is set at 70% of gross pre-retirement pay. The OECD calculates a 'contribution gap,' representing the additional percentage of earnings workers would need to invest in voluntary pension plans to meet this target. Lithuania faces the widest shortfall at 20.7% of earnings, while Switzerland has the largest estimated monthly additional contribution, exceeding EUR1,000 for men earning average wages. Other countries with significant double-digit gaps include Ireland (19.4%), Poland (17.3%), and Germany (11.1%). Conversely, mandatory pensions in countries like Austria, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain are expected to meet the target for men on average wage...
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The Mosaic Company Reports on Global Operations in Phosphate and Potash Crop Nutrients

The Mosaic Company Reports on Global Operations in Phosphate and Potash Crop Nutrients

The Mosaic Company Reports on Global Operations in Phosphate and Potash Crop Nutrients