CRS Reports – Week of 5-4-24 – H5N1 in Cattle

This week the Congressional Research Service published a report on “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Dairy Herds”. The report provides an overview of the recent detection of H5N1, or ‘Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza’ (HPAI) in dairy cattle. It discusses the authorities and responsibilities for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the FDA in dealing with such disease outbreaks. It also describes the testing that has been done to date to establish the limits of the outbreak and its potential impact on the food supply. The report notes that no infections have been reported to date in beef cattle, only dairy cattle.

Commentary

If you have been following my Short Takes post, you will be aware that I am watching this outbreak relatively closely. It is not a chemical security issue (duh), but after watching how well this country reacted to and responded to the COVID epidemic, I am interested in seeing how well the government responds to future potential epidemics. At this point, this is a low-threat disease for humans, which is a good thing. But…, this is influenza, a disease that is well known for its adaptability and mutagenicity. It deserves further watch and study.

This report is fairly straightforward reporting on the current status of the outbreak. What is missing is one of the mainstays of CRS reports, a look forward to the issues with which Congress might expect to have to deal. APHIS has a budget for animal testing activities. As the agency expands its support of H5N1 testing in dairy and beef cattle, this will inevitably take away funds from other animal testing activities. The report notes that (pg 2):

“In the case of dairy herd infections with H5N1, APHIS announced that the [National Animal Health Laboratory Network] NAHLN laboratories will be reimbursed for (1) testing suspect dairy cattle, (2) pre-movement testing, (3) tests requested by producers of asymptomatic cattle, and (4) testing of samples from other animals on dairies with HPAI infections.”

If APHIS is going to try to get an idea of how widespread this outbreak really is, numbers 3 and 4 above are going to be very important. Perhaps it would be reasonable for Congress to begin to consider setting aside additional monies for not just the reimbursement for the actual sample testing, but also support for organized sample collection efforts.