1. With first detection since April, Minnesota's battle with bird flu resumes
By Anthony Bettin
CBSNews.com
September 17, 2025
Nearly half a year after the state's last detection of the virus, avian influenza has been found in a southern Minnesota turkey flock, according to animal health officials.
The Redwood County flock "showed signs of increased mortality" over the weekend, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health said. Testing confirmed the presence of the H5N1 virus, colloquially known as bird flu.
This is the first time the virus has been detected in Minnesota since April 23.
"Animal health officials and [the] industry have been working hard over the summer to eliminate the virus from quarantined sites so the state could officially declare freedom of the disease on Aug. 25, 2025," the board said. "This detection resets Minnesota's response teams and will draw responders back into the fight against avian influenza this fall."
Full text: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-bird-flu-turkey-flock-redwood-county/
2. First West Nile virus case reported in Yakima County horse [WA]; West Nile virus confirmed in Seneca County [NY];
Wild Horse Tests Positive for WNV in North Dakota
First West Nile virus case reported in Yakima County horse [WA]
Yakima Herald-Republic
September 15, 2025
The first case of West Nile virus in a Yakima County horse was confirmed Sept. 11, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed a 1-year-old thoroughbred horse tested positive for the virus after presenting with neurologic signs, according to a news release. West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes.
The risk level for other horse owners in Yakima and surrounding areas is moderate, the department reported. All animal owners should take preventive steps such as vaccination, placing livestock in barns or sheltered areas with fans, eliminating standing water where mosquitoes can breed, and using insect repellents.
West Nile virus confirmed in Seneca County [NY]
Finger Lakes Times
September 16, 2025
WATERLOO - The Seneca County Health Department was informed by the New York State Department of Health there has been a confirmed case of West Nile virus in a horse from Seneca County.
This is the first-ever confirmed equine case of West Nile virus in Seneca County.
Wild Horse Tests Positive for WNV in North Dakota
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
September 16, 2025
On Sept. 12, a 2-year-old wild horse in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in McKenzie and Billings counties, North Dakota, tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV). The horse developed a neurologic gait on Aug. 30 and was euthanized.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1139174/wild-horse-tests-positive-for-wnv-in-north-dakota/
3. Battling BRD on Cattle Ranches for Greater Performance
Setting cattle up for success starts with building a robust immune system that can respond to disease challenges. Building immunity starts the day a calf is born.
By Wyatt Bechtel
Drovers.com
September 16, 2025
For nearly 30 years, Kevin Fenton, DVM and rancher, from Stigler, Okla., has been battling bovine respiratory disease (BRD) to help advance cattle health and performance.
Since graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1995, he has specialized in large animal care, with a focus on cow-calf and stockers. Today, he owns a mixed animal practice with his wife, Jennifer Fenton, DVM, called Fenton Animal Clinic and their ranch, Fenton Cattle Co.
"The main thing we try to emphasize with our cattle clients is to be in control of the situations that we can actually be in control of, whether it's biosecurity or implementing a proactive preventive-medicine protocol," Fenton says.
BRD is one of the top health issues that impact the finances of Fenton Animal Clinic's cattle clients.
"When we're dealing with BRD, we have to all realize it's a syndrome of a lot of different events that come to one disease complex," Fenton explains. "Fortunately, there are many resources out there to manage BRD, whether those are testing, antimicrobials or vaccinations."
Full text: https://www.drovers.com/news/beef-production/battling-brd-cattle-ranches-greater-performance
4. Three new African Swine Fever detection technologies revealed amid vaccine concerns [edited]
By SciDev.Net
Edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan
Phys.org
September 16, 2025
Three new technologies to detect and manage African Swine Fever have been unveiled in the Philippines amid ongoing concerns about a vaccine imported from Vietnam.
African Swine Fever, which causes hemorrhagic fever in pigs, has had a devastating effect on the country's swine industry, with outbreaks occurring in 76 out of 82 provinces since 2019 and six provinces recording active cases last month.
Vietnam is also battling a serious outbreak, with thousands of pigs infected.
The Philippines' Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Filipino-owned life science company BioAssets Corporation have developed a rapid DNA extraction kit and real-time detection kit for farmers.
A mobile biocontainment laboratory, developed by BioAssets Corporation, is designed to support rapid response to potential outbreaks and improve disease surveillance, enabling farmers to diagnose the disease on-site.
However, Fermin Diaz, editor of the online magazine Livestock and Meat Business, told SciDev.Net: "The way I look at it, it seems that these new tools are just palliatives … so that the DOST can say that they are addressing the matter.
"Those kits have very minimal contribution to the overall diagnostic aspect of disease management."
Full text: https://phys.org/news/2025-09-african-swine-fever-technologies-revealed.html
5. Registration open for 2025 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar
Oct. 15-16 event focuses on developing uses and maximizing value for poultry byproducts.
By USPOULTRY, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Feedstuffs
September 16, 2025
The 2025 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar is where industry leaders, experts and innovators can gather to exchange insights, explore new technologies and strengthen best practices across regulatory, operational and safety fronts.
Sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the Poultry Protein & Fat Council (PPFC), the event is scheduled for Oct. 15-16 in Nashville, Tenn.
The Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar concentrates on developing uses and maximum value for poultry byproducts. The seminar highlights innovative processing systems, emerging technology and new ideas for an efficient plant and quality products.
Full text: https://www.feedstuffs.com/agribusiness-news/registration-open-for-2025-poultry-protein-fat-seminar
6. Rutgers Scientists Unveil Recent Studies on the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick, a Substantial Threat to U.S. Livestock
By Office of Public Outreach and Communication
September 15, 2025
A pair of new studies led by researchers at the Rutgers Center for Vector Biology use genetic data to help trace the potential routes of introduction of the invasive (ALT), Haemaphysalis longicornis, into the United States, and to identify potential vaccine targets within the tick that can be exploited to protect vulnerable livestock populations.
While this tick is native to China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, one lineage in particular is rapidly spreading through multiple countries, including Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific Islands. This lineage has the rare ability to reproduce without the presence of male ticks, a phenomenon known as parthenogenesis.
In 2017, the presence of parthenogenetic Asian longhorned ticks in the U.S. was first reported in New Jersey, said Dana Price, assistant professor in the Department of Entomology. However, historical samples have now shown evidence of the ticks' establishment as early as 2010 in West Virginia. As vectors of Theileria orientalis-a parasitic livestock pathogen-H. longicornis poses a substantial threat to U.S. livestock.