1. The News Alerts will return December 29th.
2. DNR confirms CWD in wild deer in La Crosse County [WI]
WXOW.com
December 22, 2025
MADISON, Wis. (WXOW) - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the first positive test for chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild deer in La Crosse County.
The deer, a hunter-harvested adult buck, was taken within 10 miles of the Monroe and Vernon County borders.
As a result, La Crosse County's baiting and feeding ban will be extended for three more years. Monroe and Vernon counties already have 3-year bans, which remain unaffected by this detection.
3. Third Bird Flu Case Confirmed at Cleveland County Poultry Farm as Arkansas Officials Urge Vigilance
By Luke Matheson
DeltaplexNews.com
December 20, 2025
State agriculture officials have confirmed a new case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, at a commercial poultry farm in Cleveland County, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
The case was identified following an investigation conducted by the department in coordination with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Laboratory testing confirmed the presence of HPAI in poultry at the affected facility.
It marks the third commercial poultry farm in Cleveland County to test positive for HPAI this year. Two previous cases were confirmed in January.
4. K-State biosecurity center secures grant to boost animal disease preparedness training
By Adrian Self, National Agricultural Biosecurity Center
JCPost.com
December 21, 2025
Kansas State University's National Agricultural Biosecurity Center is expanding its role on the front lines of animal disease preparedness with a new U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that will immerse extension professionals in realistic outbreak planning across the central U.S.
With $211,248 in new support from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, or NABC, will lead a project called Region 7 Tabletops and Functional Workbooks for Extension Professionals. The effort is part of the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program, a Farm Bill initiative that is investing $15.3 million in 68 projects to strengthen animal health infrastructure, biosecurity, emergency planning, training and traceability nationwide.
From October 2025 through September 2027, NABC and its partners will design and deliver tabletop exercises - guided simulations that walk participants through potential foreign or emerging animal disease events - for extension professionals in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Extension agents, state officials and other stakeholders will work through evolving scenarios, practicing how to coordinate response actions, communicate risk and make time-sensitive decisions that protect livestock and the broader agricultural economy.
Full text: https://jcpost.com/posts/6a2b7e02-f3d1-414b-829b-230a399a66fd
5. Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine launches food animal residency with $250k USDA grant
By: Caden Keenan
MyHighPlains.com
December 19, 2025
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) - Texas Tech University's School of Veterinary Medicine announced it will launch its first food animal residency program with the support of a $250,000 USDA Veterinary Service Grant, aimed at addressing a shortage of veterinarians serving rural and agricultural communities.
According to TTU officials, the program will train and mentor early-career veterinarians to grow into future educators and leaders in food animal medicine, "strengthening veterinary capacity, rural prosperity and long-term agricultural resilience. "
The initiative is set to be led by Jennifer Kozoil, associate professor of food animal medicine and surgery. The residency will launch in 2026, according to TTU, and recruit early-career veterinarians and provide them with advanced clinical and research training. Officials noted the program will aim to meet a critical need for more qualified food animal faculty at veterinary schools as institutions struggle to recruit and retain specialists.
"The lack of veterinary coverage in rural regions has far-reaching consequences, from diminished livestock health and welfare to threats against food security and community economic viability," Koziol said. "The USDA project aligns with national strategic goals of supporting rural prosperity and ensuring a safe, nutritious food supply."
6. Update: Genetic Sequencing Results for Wisconsin Dairy Herd Detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
APHIS Stakeholder Registry
December 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.-On December 14, 2025, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the first detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd in Wisconsin. On December 17, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) completed whole genome sequencing and confirmed that the virus is H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b genotype D1.1. Analysis indicates that this detection is a new spillover event from wildlife into dairy cattle, separate from previous events.
Key Points
Most detections in U.S. dairy herds have resulted from movements linked to the original spillover event that occurred in the Texas Panhandle in late 2023, involving the B3.13 strain.
In early 2025, through the National Milk Testing Strategy, USDA detected two spillover events in Nevada and Arizona dairy herds. Both were identified early, and no further herd infections occurred through animal movements. These events involved the D1.1 strain.
The Wisconsin herd, also detected through the National Milk Testing Strategy, represents a new, separate spillover event and involves the D1.1 strain. At this time, no additional dairy herds have been identified as infected in association with this event.
Public Health and Food Safety
This detection does not pose a risk to consumer health or affect the safety of the commercial milk supply. Pasteurization effectively inactivates HPAI virus, and milk from affected animals is diverted or destroyed to prevent entry into the food supply. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to consider the risk to the public to be low.
The Importance of Biosecurity
USDA remains committed to working with state partners to monitor, investigate, and mitigate the spread of HPAI in livestock. The detection does not change USDA's HPAI eradication strategy. Biosecurity is still key to mitigating the risk of disease introduction or spread between premises.
APHIS recommends enhanced biosecurity measures for all dairy farms. Producers should immediately report any livestock with clinical signs, or any unusual sick or dead wildlife, to their state veterinarian.
7. Avian influenza strikes poultry in 2 states, 2 provinces
Commercial poultry in South Dakota, Indiana, Ontario and British Columbia are the latest reported avian flu cases.
By Roy Graber
WATTAgNet.com
December 22, 2025
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported that the presence of HPAI was confirmed on December 18 in a flock of 29,400 commercial turkey breeder replacement hens in Edmunds County, South Dakota.
One day before that, APHIS confirmed the presence of HPAI in a flock of 7,100 commercial meat ducks in LaGrange County, Indiana.
Indiana has now had 67 commercial poultry flocks test positive for HPAI in 2025, while South Dakota has had 20.