The United States is facing one of the most severe outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, leading to the culling of millions of birds and serious concerns over both animal and public health. Greg Herbruck, CEO of Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, one of the largest egg producers in the nation, recently voiced the emotional and financial toll of this crisis on his team.
“The mental toll on our team of dealing with…it’s just, I mean, you can’t visualize it,” said Herbruck, whose operation had to euthanize 6.5 million birds when HPAI was detected on his farm. This sentiment resonates throughout the industry as producers are struggling to navigate the fallout from the avian influenza, which has now touched approximately 147 million birds across the country since 2022.
Beginning around April 2024, as the first signs of the virus appeared, Herbruck and his colleagues turned to the USDA’s “stamping out” protocol. This entails swiftly culling infected flocks within 24-48 hours of detection, following stringent biosecurity measures. State and federal animal health officials are deployed to assist farms, aiming to curb the highly transmissible disease.
The emotional strain placed on the workers has been overwhelming. “I didn’t sleep. Our team didn’t sleep,” Herbruck recalled, as they faced the relentless anticipation of finding more sick birds each day. Unfortunately, their struggles reflect just one facet of this alarming situation. Despite significant investments made by egg farms to ramp up biosecurity—like improving cleaning protocols, restricting farm access, and stringent hygiene measures—the outbreak continues to wreak havoc.
Health experts have expressed mounting concern over the increased human cases linked to this avian flu. “The last six months have accelerated my concern…” stated Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, a leading infectious disease physician. Human infections linked to HPAI have risen alarmingly, including the first known human death from the virus earlier this year, as more than half of the reported 68 U.S. cases occurred since March alone. This has left those working closely with poultry feeling the pressure daily.
Some backyard poultry owners have also become embroiled in the conversation about how effectively they can protect their flocks. Katie Ockert, of the Michigan State University Extension, remarks on how backyard poultry keepers are divided between those who strictly follow biosecurity protocols and those who are skeptical of the risks presented by the avian flu. “I see both; I don’t feel like there’s really any middle ground there for people,” she explained.
Despite rigorous measures implemented after the previous outbreak (2014-2015), the industry finds itself scrambling as many of these practices now seem insufficient against the latest pandemic strains of the virus. Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, noted, “All the measures we’re doing are still getting beaten by this virus,” highlighting the urgent need for new strategies.
A heated debate is currently underway within the poultry industry about the potential to vaccinate birds against avian influenza. Countries such as China and Egypt are already incorporating vaccination as part of their response plans, and many experts believe it could drastically reduce the virus spread and the potential for human infections. Yet, resistance exists within U.S. poultry exporters, fearing the financial repercussions such vaccinations could impose. Former USDA Chief Veterinary Officer John Clifford noted, “If we vaccinate, we not only lose $6 billion potentially…that product would come back on the US market.”
Despite the economic concerns surrounding the exporting of poultry and eggs from vaccinated birds, industry leaders like Metz argue against waiting any longer to explore this tool. “We’re desperate, and we need every possible tool,” she affirmed, stating the current protocols feel inadequate against the spread of H5N1.
The increasing reports of human cases, along with the virus infecting other mammals from dairy cows to even cats, would compel any responsible response, according to Dr. Bhadelia. “We’ve got to reduce the chances of infections…Animals around humans, which include cows and chickens, amplify the problem,” she stated.
With the USDA pursuing research and development for targeted vaccines, the industry stands at the crossroads of deciding how best to tackle this urgent crisis. Unless action is taken swiftly, this outbreak’s devastating economic and health ramifications may only worsen. The lesson here, echoing across both the medical and agricultural sectors, is clear: acting earlier can lead to smaller problems.