1. Two Equine Premises Quarantined in New Mexico for Presumptive VSV Cases
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
July 8, 2026
According to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), two new equine premises in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, have presumptive positive cases of vesicular stomatitis (VSV). The facilities are under quarantine.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1145711/2-equine-premises-quarantined-in-new-mexico-for-presumptive-vsv-cases/
2. Idaho leads nation in new dairy bird flu cases as H5N1 resurges
AgDaily.com
July 8, 2026
Idaho has emerged as the nation's latest hotspot for highly pathogenic avian influenza in dairy cattle, recording 40 newly confirmed infected dairy herds during the 30-day period ending June 29.
The recent surge accounts for the majority of new U.S. dairy herd detections over the past month. During the week of June 22-28 alone, Idaho confirmed eight additional infected dairy herds, along with an HPAI outbreak at a Canyon County poultry farm affecting about 3,000 birds.
"It's just surging now," Idaho State Veterinarian Scott Leibsle told Capital Press.
Leibsle said the poultry operation was likely infected by a nearby dairy farm and emphasized that the virus circulating in Idaho dairy herds is spreading primarily among cattle rather than from wild birds.
"The bird flu strain in Idaho dairy herds isn't spread by wild birds, but by bovines themselves," he told the publication.
State officials are considering expanding surveillance efforts ahead of next spring's expected increase in cases.
Full text: https://www.agdaily.com/livestock/idaho-leads-nation-new-dairy-bird-flu-cases-h5n1-resurges/
3. FARM Program Opens Comment Period for Version 2028
All dairy industry stakeholders are invited to provide comments, feedback and concerns related to the proposed revisions
MorningAgClips.com
July 8, 2026
ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program today [July 8, 2026] began its open comment period for both the Animal Care and Workforce Development programs' proposed Version 2028 updates to compile and incorporate farmer and industry feedback.
"Farmer involvement is critical to ensuring program standards are practical and achievable," said James "Cricket" Jacquier, an Agri-Mark member-farmer and chairman of the FARM Animal Care Task Force. "Farmers who participate in the open comment period can provide feedback on practices and protocols that help promote U.S. dairy industry efforts in demonstrating our commitment to high-quality dairy products."
All dairy industry stakeholders are invited to provide comments, feedback and concerns related to the proposed revisions by Oct. 2. Click here* to view the proposed standard updates and complete the survey.
[*See: https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8BN3fBE9nJyOpcG ]
Full text: https://www.morningagclips.com/farm-program-opens-comment-period-for-version-2028/
4. USDA to begin National Animal Health Monitoring System study of the horse industry starting next month
By DRG Media Group News
July 8, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct a national study of health and management practices on U.S. equine operations starting in August 2026. Stakeholder input helped shape the study to ensure it meets the industry's most important information needs.
The study will include randomly selected equine operations in all 50 States. Results will provide important information about equine care, health management and disease occurrence, use of veterinary services, and issues affecting "at-risk" equines or those that are in vocational transition.
Selected operations will receive a questionnaire in the mail in July and are encouraged to participate in the study. Participants may choose from four response options: completing the paper questionnaire, using the online survey, or taking part in a telephone or in-person interview with a NASS enumerator. Study findings will be published on the APHIS website at National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) and will offer valuable information for equine owners, industry, and other stakeholders.
5. One in four adults in tick-heavy states test positive for alpha-gal antibodies
By Laine Bergeson
CIDRAP News
July 7, 2026
In five states with high rates of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), nearly one in four adults test positive for antibodies associated with the condition, according to a study published last week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The findings suggest that the presence of the molecule that triggers AGS may be far more common than the syndrome itself.
AGS is an allergy triggered by exposure to galactose-a-1,3-galactose, or alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammalian (red) meat, dairy products, and mammalian-derived byproducts like gelatin. People with AGS can experience hives, swelling, wheezing, or gastrointestinal symptoms or, rarely, they might die when they consume these foods.
Most US cases are linked to bites from lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum). Alpha-gal is found naturally in lone star ticks' saliva and, when it is transferred to humans through a bite, can induce the production of alpha-gal-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.
To better understand how common alpha-gal antibodies are regardless of a person's clinical symptoms, a team led by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers tested 3,000 residual blood donor samples collected from 10 states from November 2024 to April 2025. The states included five with historically high alpha-gal seroprevalence-Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia-as well as five states with lower disease activity.
6. Australia's New South Wales confirms H5N1 bird flu case, third state
By Reuters
July 4, 2026
SYDNEY, July 5 (Reuters) - New South Wales became Australia's third state to confirm a case of H5N1 bird flu after authorities said a migratory seabird found near a coastal town returned a positive result for the highly pathogenic virus.
Australia last month became the final continent to confirm a mainland case of H5N1, although the virus had been detected in late 2025 on the sub-Antarctic territory of Heard Island, about 4,100 km (2,600 miles) from continental Australia.
Six infections have now been confirmed across three states, including in a seabird called the giant petrel found near the seaside town of Hawks Nest in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, the authorities said late on Saturday.
7. General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan and 47th Biennial Conference
Federal Register Volume 91, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 7, 2026)
Notices
Page 41617
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-13717
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Docket No. APHIS-2026-0100
General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan and 47th Biennial Conference
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
SUMMARY: We are giving notice, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture and the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), of a meeting of the General Conference Committee (GCC or the Committee) of the National Poultry Improvement
Plan (NPIP) and the NPIP's 47th Biennial Conference.
DATES: The General Conference Committee meeting will be held on August 11, 2026, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. MST. The General Session of the
Biennial Conference will begin on August 12, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. and end no later than August 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. MST.
ADDRESSES: The meeting and conference will be held at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center Hotel, 255 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT
84101.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Savannah Busby, Acting Senior Coordinator, National Poultry Improvement Plan, VS, APHIS, USDA, 1506
Klondike Road, Suite 301, Conyers, GA 30094; (770) 922-3496, savannah.busby@usda.gov.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-07/html/2026-13717.htm