USDA announces $100M funding opportunity in fight against avian influenza
Since February 2022, more than 168 million U.S. birds—spanning backyard coops to large commercial operations—have been hit by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), subtype A/H5N1, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
In late February, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled a $1 billion, five-part plan aimed at lowering egg prices and curbing the spread of avian flu. The initiative covers prospective vaccines, therapeutics, and other protective tactics to spare flocks and avoid mass depopulation. Soon after, on March 11, USDA officials convened their first call with state agencies and industry leaders to discuss surveillance, treatment options, vaccination strategies, and related logistics.
Nine days later, on March 20, USDA—working with HHS, CDC, NIH, and FDA—announced a forthcoming funding opportunity worth up to $100 million for projects focused on prevention, treatments, research, and vaccine candidates against H5N1. Full application details appear on the APHIS site and at Grants.gov (search: “USDA-APHIS-10025-VSSP0000-25-0015”). Researchers must apply by May 19.
Tackling Biosecurity Gaps
Half of the $1 billion package is earmarked for on-farm biosecurity audits in commercial poultry operations that have not yet encountered H5N1. Federal teams will examine wildlife-exclusion methods and help producers close biosecurity loopholes. Initial reviews target egg-layer facilities in top egg-producing states such as Iowa and Ohio, aligning with the administration’s goal of easing egg prices.
Veterinarian Dr. Michelle Kromm, who has 15 years’ experience in commercial turkey production and co-chairs the American Association of Avian Pathologists’ H5 task force, says strict biosecurity sharply lowers infection risk but can be overwhelmed by heavy viral loads. When virus pressure is low or moderate, tight protocols work, she notes; at high doses, biosecurity alone struggles. “A vaccine would raise the infectious dose needed to spark an outbreak and cut the amount of virus shedding,” Dr. Kromm explains—especially important if federal leaders want alternatives to blanket flock depopulation.
Beyond Poultry
Containing H5N1 also means looking outside the henhouse. Multiple USDA branches—APHIS, the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture—are studying how the virus moves within and between herds and how it behaves in poultry, dairy cattle, small ruminants, and swine.
Different species pose unique hurdles. Poultry and pigs are usually raised in closed barns where people and equipment can be disinfected on entry and exit, says Dr. K. Fred Gingrich II, executive director of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners. Dairy barns, though, see animals and service providers coming and going daily—feed trucks, hoof trimmers, breeders—making strict isolation difficult. Wild birds add another layer: “You can’t keep birds away from cows,” he observes, noting droppings in feed, stalls, and water sources. As of mid-April, H5N1 has been confirmed in over 1,000 dairy herds across 17 states.
The Vaccine Question
Dr. Gingrich supports a safe, effective vaccine, arguing it will likely be essential to suppress the virus in dairy herds, where roughly 30 percent of animals are replaced annually with naïve stock. Still, vaccinating long-lived dairy cows differs economically and logistically from immunizing broiler chickens, which are processed at six weeks.
USDA has kept vaccination on the table since the 2014-15 poultry outbreak, but trade impacts and deployment hurdles remain. Four USDA-licensed poultry vaccines (H5N1, H5N3, H5N9, and an HA-subtype product) are available, yet none cover the virulent H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b circulating today.
Researchers at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) began evaluating whether older vaccines protect against the current strain, and the agency is also testing H5 vaccines for cattle, swine, and other livestock. Planned studies include turkey protection trials, new serological tests for vaccinated birds, swine vaccine research, and goat models that could stand in for cattle studies.
Private companies are investing, too. On February 14, Zoetis received a conditional USDA license for its killed-virus H5N2 vaccine for chickens. Even so, no HPAI vaccine has been cleared for field use. Before green-lighting any product, USDA—consulting with HHS, CDC, NIH, and FDA—intends to gather input from state officials, veterinarians, producers, public-health leaders, and the general public.
Source: https://www.avma.org/
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