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.

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Editor WorldPoultry