1. Smoke and Livestock: UW Extension outlines impact of wildfire smoke on livestock health and performance
By Wyoming Livestock Roundup
May 22, 2026
The University of Wyoming (UW) Extension Wildfire Webinar Series explores a wide range of wildfire topics and offers practical knowledge, expert perspectives and actionable steps to help communities better understand risk and stay resilient.
On May 14, the series examined the impacts of wildfire smoke on livestock, featuring a presentation from University of Idaho Associate Professor Amy Skibiel.
Skibiel's presentation highlights current wildfire conditions across the U.S. and studies on the impacts of wildfire smoke on livestock, as well as tips and guidelines for protecting livestock during wildfire season.
2. One Size Does Not Fit All: Customizing Your Herd's Vaccination Schedule
Ditch the generic "shot list." Leading veterinarians explain why a written, herd-specific plan is the only way to maximize herd resiliency.
By Angie Stump Denton
Drovers.com
May 22, 2026
When it comes to herd health, many beef producers go to their veterinarian with a straightforward request: "Just tell me what shots to give." Virginia Tech veterinarian John Currin understands the desire for a simple answer, but he says that mindset misses the real opportunity.
"Most of the time, people just want to know, 'What shots do I give? Just tell me that,'" Currin says. "But if you want to get the most bang for your buck, it's got to be tailored to your operation."
Instead of chasing a national, one-size-fits-all vaccination calendar, Currin encourages producers to focus on the diseases that matter most in their cows and calves - and to build a written plan with their local veterinarian.
Why Do We Give Vaccines?
"The goal of any vaccination program is to increase resiliency and protection for the entire herd against certain diseases," says A.J. Tarpoff, Kansas State University Extension veterinarian.
Vaccines are targeted challenges to the immune system to gain protection to the pathogens that cause the diseases of concern.
"Vaccines are tools producers use to reduce the risk and impact of certain infectious diseases in their cattle," adds Russ Daly, South Dakota State University Extension veterinarian. "They work by stimulating the animal's immune system before exposure to the disease-causing germs. As a result, when cattle are later exposed to those germs, the infection is less likely to become established or the severity and harmful effects of the disease are reduced."
Full text: https://www.drovers.com/news/one-size-does-not-fit-all-customizing-your-herds-vaccination-schedule
3. Two North Dakota Horses Test Positive for Equine Influenza
EDCC Health Watch
Equus Magazine
May 22, 2026
Two horses at a private facility in McIntosh County, North Dakota, have tested positive for equine influenza, according to the state veterinarian. Additionally, 70 horses have been exposed. The affected horses are quarantined.
4. China lifts bird flu-related poultry export bans for 17 states
Restrictions remain for 27 states under regionalization agreement; Georgia, Mississippi and Missouri could be cleared soon.
By Tom Super
National Chicken Council
Feedstuffs
May 22, 2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated its China export restrictions webpage to reflect that China has lifted highly pathogenic avian influenza-related poultry export restrictions for 17 states, effective May 15, 2026.
The states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. Only products produced on or after May 15, 2026, are eligible for export to China from these states.
China had been blocking raw poultry imports from U.S. states affected by HPAI outbreaks. Under a 2020 Regionalization Agreement, HPAI restrictions by state are meant to be lifted 90 days after cleaning and disinfection, but China had not been abiding by that provision.
5. First Responders' Veterinary Network enlists veterinarians to help save lives
The First Responders' Veterinary Network is recruiting veterinarians to help their communities in a critically important way.
By Jen Reeder
AAHA.org
May 22, 2026
The idea behind First Responders' Veterinary Network (FRVN) is simple yet profound: when animals are involved in a traffic accident or fire, deploy veterinarians to the scene like firefighters, police officers and other first responders.
FRVN is the brainchild of Leigh J. Mack, MD, PhD, a clinical research physician and volunteer emergency medical technician and firefighter with the Blue Grass Fire Department in Scott County, Iowa. He was previously a civil affairs officer for the South Carolina State Guard and has experience responding to disasters, motor vehicle accidents and housefires.
He's seen injured dogs block access to their injured owner, so first responders have to put on bunker gear to sustain a dog bite to get to the person who needs help-which slows response time. He's also concerned whenever a driver accidentally flips their trailer transporting horses or livestock on a back road or blocks up an interstate during an ice storm.
So his vision is to incorporate interested veterinarians into their local county's emergency management system (EMS) so they will get an alert when there's an animal at an accident scene-and if they're available, head to help.
6. Mexico and EU sign trade deal to counter Trump tariffs
New pact could boost Mexican exports to the EU by 50% by 2030
ThePoultrySite.com
May 25, 2026
Mexico and the European Union signed a long-stalled free trade agreement on Friday as they seek to decrease dependence on the US and partially insulate themselves from US President Donald Trump's tariffs, reported Reuters.
The accord, which they reached broad agreement on in 2025 but have delayed signing, expands a Mexico-EU trade accord from 2000, which covered only industrial goods. The new pact adds services, government procurement, digital trade, investment and farm produce.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa are to sign the deal in Mexico City in their first summit in over a decade.
"This agreement is a true geopolitical statement," Costa said on Friday, shortly after signing the agreement. "With the modernised global agreement, we are better prepared to face the challenges of our time."
Full text: https://www.thepoultrysite.com/news/2026/05/mexico-and-eu-sign-trade-deal-to-counter-trump-tariffs