Maryland: Eastern Shore Senator Calls on Governor Moore to Appoint Bird Flu Coordinator

[Commonground]

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Feb 4, 2025

MARYLAND - State Senator Johnny Mautz, a Republican representing Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester and Wicomico Counties in Annapolis wants better coordination on the state's response to the avian influenza or bird flu outbreak.

In a January meeting of the Eastern Shore delegation, Mautz called on Governor Wes Moore to appoint a bird flu coordinator.

"Let's just get this clear, where is the source of information? Who's notifying people? Who's in charge?" he said.

Mautz says the confusion has arisen because the Maryland Department of Agriculture takes the lead on bird flu cases at commercial poultry farms, but the Maryland Department of Natural Resources leads the response to cases in the wild.
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We reached out to the Governor's Office about this request. A spokesperson provided the following statement:​
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continued: https://www.wboc.com/news/eastern-shore-senator-calls-on-governor-moore-to-appoint-bird-flu-coordinator/article_a629ead2-e343-11ef-8e29-f3da9c020352.html​

 

[Commonground]

Influenza Discussion Kicks Off Ohio’s Swine Health Symposium

​February 04, 2025​
From influenza and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome to H5N1 and sow care, here’s a glimpse of what we heard at the Swine Health Symposium in Ohio.

How will you do your part to ensure a strong pork industry? Producers, veterinarians and industry leaders gathered in Lima, Ohio, on Feb. 4 for the Swine Health Symposium, hosted by The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Ohio Pork Council.

Timely topics such as influenza, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, H5N1, sow care, enhanced biosecurity and more captured the attention of attendees. Here are a few quotes from the event at the Ohio Pork Congress in case you missed it.
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“It doesn’t have to be sexy and complicated to be effective. Most farms have opportunity for improvement in their biosecurity practices. Of the farms we assessed last year, 92% had at least one biosecurity hazard identified during routine assessment.” – Rebecca Robbins, veterinarian for PIC, in Biosecurity Enhancement

“Really nasty viruses are being made over our heads every day as birds are migrating. Some of those viruses are making their way into different host populations and they aren’t behaving nicely.” – Andrew Bowman, DVM, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University in H5N1 Update

“Know what you are responsible for. Be prepared but also be prepared to be flexible. Take time now to prepare, rather than if/when it hits the U.S.” - Lucas Buehler, veterinarian with Four Star Veterinary Service, in Veterinarian’s Perspective on FAD Exercise
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“When it comes to depopulation, it’s important to understand that USDA and state departments of agriculture don’t have a team to help you carry out depopulation on your farm. They are there to make sure we follow rules. All equipment, labor and PPE must be provided by the farmer or company. And keep in mind that regular services (such as portable toilets and dumpsters) may be hard to get.” – Bethany Heitkamp, veterinarian for Cooper Farms, in Lessons from HPAI

“USDA has ‘zero tolerance for circulating H5N1 virus.’ That means USDA won’t allow us to fold it into other influenza viruses we deal with on a day-to-day basis. We can’t treat this like another influenza virus. We have to think about how we will rid ourselves of the virus. We can’t just manage it.” – Anna Forseth, director of animal health for the National Pork Producers Council, in H5N1 Update
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“It was a farm-stopping, smack-you-in-the-face kind of a deal. If it’s a reality and it happens on your farm, we are not ready. Prepare the best you can for a worst-case scenario.” –Nathan Isler, pork producer from Marion County, Ohio, on his farm’s participation in an ASF response exercise in Foreign Animal Disease Response

“Overall sow longevity (and leading specific causes of sow death loss) can and should be improved via genetic selection. However, genetic approaches alone will not solve sow mortality. Non-genetic solutions are needed to supplement this approach.” – Janelle Dunkelberger, geneticist at Topigs Norsvin, in Breeding Robust Sows for Commercial Conditions

“Looking back, we knew this situation with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was coming, but we were not as well prepared as we thought we were. However, everything we did to prepare helped along the way. Prepare as much as you possibly can.” – Bethany Heitkamp, veterinarian for Cooper Farms, in Lessons from HPAI
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https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/h...discussion-kicks-ohios-swine-health-symposium
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