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update:Sep 27, 2006
USDA to provide indemnity for AI eradication
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced
an interim rule that expands the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), a
voluntary cooperative federal, state and industry programme designed to prevent
the spread of poultry diseases in commercial poultry operations.
Under the interim rule, the
USDA will
provide 100 percent indemnity for specified costs associated with eradication of
H5 and H7 low pathogenic
avian
influenza at commercial poultry operations that participate in the NPIP
programme as prescribed.
USDA will only offer 25 percent indemnity for costs associated with
eradication at commercial facilities that choose not to participate in the
active surveillance portion of this programme. In previous H5 and H7 detections,
indemnification was often handled by states and the provisions varied.
"This programme expansion strengthens US protections against poultry
diseases such as avian influenza," said Dr Ron DeHaven, Administrator of USDA's
Animal and Plant and
Health Inspection Service (APHIS). "These changes also help us to ensure we
are following international animal health guidelines, which is a long-standing
commitment of the United States."
While LPAI poses no risk to human health, USDA's policy is to eradicate H5
and H7 subtypes because of their potential to mutate into highly pathogenic
avian influenza, which has a high mortality rate among birds.
Editor WorldPoultry
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