California State Vet calls for avian influenza cattle vaccine
Dr. Annette Jones, the State Veterinarian of California, called on the federal government to approve vaccination against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus in dairy cattle. She made her remarks during a hearing of the House Agriculture Subcommittee, which focused on the activities of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.
According to Dr. Jones, vaccination of dairy cattle should be prioritized even before poultry vaccination, expressing confidence in the USDA’s ability to implement a targeted vaccination policy without compromising trade, as it has managed to do despite widespread infection among dairy herds.
Jones noted that in 12 out of the 17 states where infected dairy herds were reported, cases of avian influenza in poultry also occurred, with the direct source of infection traced back to the infected dairy herds.
According to USDA data, between March 2024 and the present, 1,075 dairy herds in 17 states have been infected with avian influenza, 768 of them in California, which leads in the number of reported cases.
