News & Updates

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Walt Helmick has lifted his order that banned gatherings of live poultry since mid-May. ... read more

Avian influenza’s continuing impact on the poultry industry, McDonald’s move to an all-day breakfast, and a planned acquisition involving two animal health companies highlighted the news of the poultry sector during the week ending November 12. ... read more

Merck Animal Health has entered into an agreement to acquire Harrisvaccines Inc., a privately-held company that develops, manufactures and sells vaccines for food production and companion animals. ... read more

As it prepares to release the final restrictions on a few U.S. farms, USDA is shoring up trade relations in the wake of the HPAI outbreaks. APHIS officials have been visiting crucial trading partners in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The main topics of discussion are the recognition of zoning in trade restrictions and the potential use of vaccines in disease eradication efforts should there be another HPAI outbreak. ... read more

Egg company Rembrandt Foods expects repopulate its flocks at its farm in Rembrandt, Iowa, in January. The farm of about 5.5 million chickens had to be depopulated earlier in 2015 because highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza was detected at the site. ... read more

Eradication of a foreign animal disease outbreak, like highly pathogenic avian influenza, requires the depopulation and disposal of all the poultry on infected premises. Quickly euthanizing and disposing of the flock reduces the opportunity for tracking the virus off the infected premise on either people or equipment. ... read more

In recent weeks, new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported by the veterinary authorities in several Asian and African countries to the World Organisation for Animal Health. ... read more

Here are the Top 5 most popular articles and blogs at www.WATTAgNet.com for the week ending November 6. ... read more

All avian influenza-related quarantines affecting commercial egg and turkey farms have been lifted, the state’s agriculture department announced on November 6. ... read more

Suggested applications for approved avian influenza vaccines, business decisions made by poultry companies and a restaurant chain’s plans to fully transition into serving eggs from cage-free hens highlighted poultry industry news during the week ending November 5. ... read more

After reaching the conclusion that India is free of highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza, government officials in Kuwait have lifted the country’s ban on Indian poultry, India’s Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) announced. ... read more

Here are the Top 5 most popular articles and blogs at www.WATTAgNet.com for the week ending October 30. ... read more

Avian influenza remains an area of high concern of those in the global poultry industry. Here are three news developments concerning the virus. ... read more

A record 49 million poultry perished in spring prompting warnings from Sanderson Farms and national poultry experts ... read more

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently awarded contracts to two companies to produce highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza vaccines for the National Veterinary Stockpile, should the virus resurface in the United States and vaccination is approved by the agency. ... read more