State and Federal Organizations Team Up for HPAI Response in Michigan
In partnership with: Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Confronted with a spillover outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the spring of 2024 affecting both the state’s commercial poultry flocks as well as dairy herds, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development responded quickly and decisively. MDARD established a unified effort with federal, state and local health agencies to combat the outbreak and protect both the health of farmers and farmworkers as well as the animals while reassuring consumers about food safety.
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United Front
Working with the affected farms in 38 counties to enhance biosecurity, agencies worked in partnership to help reduce HPAI spread in Michigan. MDARD participated with federal agencies to research the historic outbreak, which until this outbreak only impacted poultry, not dairy cattle.
“This was the largest animal health issue in our state’s history, so coordination was the key element of our response,” says Dr. Tim Boring, MDARD director.
In its response to HPAI, MDARD worked hand in hand with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and local health agencies as well as federal partners, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Melburn Stephens, emergency coordinator for the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, applauded the work by MDARD and other state agencies.
“The most gratifying impression from my time assisting MDARD with the poultry HPAI response in Michigan was the overwhelming concern shown by Dr. Boring and his staff,” Stephens says. “There was a concerted effort between MDARD, MDHHS, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, and other state agencies to work on a resolution for both the poultry and dairy HPAI events happening simultaneously in Michigan.”
Those actions included robust communications efforts to affected farms, agricultural organizations and other stakeholders, as well as with the public.
“Our approach on this is certainly to keep farms viable and to assist farms in their response,” Boring says. “But our priority in our response is protecting human health.”
Through a coordinated effort, the agencies quickly developed movement protocols and testing requirements for farms. That included limiting animal movement, strenuously cleaning and disinfecting farm equipment, and limiting the movement of workers and vehicles between farms.
“The rapidly evolving research that we were leading here in Michigan showed those pieces were certainly important, and biosecurity measures on farms were preeminent,” Boring says.
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Collaboration Is Key
MDHHS focused first on protecting farmers and agricultural workers, says Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, State of Michigan’s chief medical executive. Working with local health departments, the agency provided safety recommendations to farmers and workers in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
“We asked people on the affected farms to report even the mildest symptoms, and we emphasized the importance of accessing and wearing personal protective equipment,” Bagdasarian says.
Michigan DHHS also assured consumers about the safety of dairy and poultry products through press releases, media interviews and on social media in partnership with MDARD, the state agency responsible for food safety.
“We made sure that we put the science out there so consumers could verify the safety of food, including pasteurized milk and properly cooked eggs,” she says.
Because agriculture in each state is different, federal and state cooperation is essential in successfully dealing with an animal health crisis, USDA’s Stephens emphasizes.
“All animal disease responses require cooperation and participation from many agencies and organizations to work efficiently, effectively and with speed,” he says.
The coordinated response to HPAI showed the value of building relationships between agencies and investments in continuous improvement in disease detection and treatment.
“It has really made us more resilient for the future,” Boring says.
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