Two recent letters express dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris Administration’s handling of the avian flu outbreak and offer recommendations for improvement.
Hannah Connor, Deputy Director of Environmental Health at the Center for Biological Diversity, sent a letter to Mandy Cohen, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The letter, supported by CleanAIRE NC, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, Mercy for Animals, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project (SRAP), Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Waterkeeper Alliance, and the Winyah Rivers Alliance, urges the CDC to intensify its response to the avian influenza outbreak. Connor calls for greater public transparency, on-the-ground epidemiological investigations, and comprehensive measures to manage the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The letter highlights recent cases involving dairy cattle herds and farm workers in Texas, Michigan, and Colorado, emphasizing the need for immediate and robust action to prevent further spread.
A second letter, addressed to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, comes from key representatives of the U.S. dairy, turkey, and egg industries. This letter demands that the USDA and federal partners expedite the development of effective H5Nx vaccines for dairy cows, turkeys, and egg-laying hens. The aim is to curb the spread of H5Nx within dairy herds and mitigate the risk of transmission to commercial poultry operations.
The urgency of these concerns is underscored by the impact of HPAI, which has affected 101 million birds in U.S. commercial flocks. Since March, the virus has also infected at least 192 dairy herds and 14 people.
The industry representatives, including those from the United Egg Producers, International Dairy Foods Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and National Turkey Federation, stress the need for new strategies. They call for the availability of vaccines to protect against current and future H5Nx strains to ensure a stable food supply and safeguard both human and animal health.
Connor’s letter further asserts that the CDC must implement strong, proactive measures. She emphasizes the need for expanded epidemiological surveys, increased testing of dairy workers and other agricultural workers, and more data transparency. This approach aims to document and manage the potential spread of HPAI effectively.
