1. APHIS Seeks Comment on Proposal To Reduce the HPAI Waiting Period for Imported Poultry and Avian Commodities
APHIS Stakeholder Registry
September 23, 2026
APHIS Seeks Comment on Proposal To Reduce the HPAI Waiting Period for Imported Poultry and Avian Commodities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to update Federal import regulations for certain live bird and avian commodities by shortening the required waiting period following a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. Under the proposal, the current 90-day requirement would be reduced to 28 days, reflecting updated science and international trade standards.
The proposed rule aligns U.S. import requirements with 2021 guidance from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), whose Scientific Commission determined that the HPAI incubation period is shorter than previously understood. Based on available scientific evidence, the Commission confirmed that a 28-day recovery window-representing two flock-level incubation periods-is sufficient to demonstrate disease-free status.
Economic analysis indicates that adopting this updated standard would reduce trade disruptions and generate measurable benefits across the poultry supply chain, helping stabilize markets and reduce costs for producers, processors, and consumers.
APHIS invites public comments on the proposed rule for 60 days following its publication in the Federal Register on September 24, 2026. To review the full proposal and submit comments, visit www.regulations.gov and search Docket No. APHIS-2023-0069.
2. USDA grant funds new Texas A&M screwworm treatment
Texas A&M researchers are developing first fast-acting, hybrid treatment for New World screwworm after receiving $1.86 million in federal funding
By Ariadni Pappa, News Reporter
The Battalion
September 23, 2026
Texas A&M researchers are developing a new treatment for the New World Screwworm that could give ranchers another option for treating infected livestock as the parasitic fly threatens agriculture.
The $1.86 million USDA-funded project led by A&M brings together researchers in chemical engineering, entomology and veterinary science from A&M and Texas Tech. The team is developing a spray that combines botanical and synthetic compounds to kill screwworm larvae that nest in the wounds of livestock.
For Phillip Kaufman, Ph.D., the project's co-principal investigator and head of the Department of Entomology, the goal is not only to kill the larvae but also to help address the damage they leave behind.
"What we're trying to do is to create new products that will allow veterinarians, ranchers, and the broader agricultural community to treat the [screwworm] wound," Kaufman said. "Essentially, the aim is to kill any larvae that we may have missed when we try to take them out, but also promote healing of that wound."
That is where the project differs from long-term efforts to control the screwworm population. Sterile fly programs, which stops the screwworm from reproducing, can reduce populations over generations, but they do not provide immediate treatment for an animal that is already infested.
"Our approach is trying to solve the immediate emergency," Mustafa Akbulut, Ph.D., the project's principal investigator and a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering said. "Let's say we see an animal, and it is infested by these eggs and larvae. The main question is, 'How do we treat it quickly and efficiently?'"
Full text: https://thebatt.com/news/usda-grant-funds-new-texas-am-screwworm-treatment/
3. Rural America faces veterinary shortage
By Hannah Velasques
Minot Daily News
September 23, 2026
Minot, similar to many rural counties across the U.S., is facing a growing shortage of veterinary practices due to the surge in pet ownership and not enough new graduates to fill the places of older veterans, burnout cases and economic challenges. Long waits, limited services and higher costs for pet and livestock care may be a few of the issues owners are facing.
"There is an incredible shortage of veterinarians in rural areas, and not just for large animals, but also small animals," said Dr. Richard Lagasse, practice owner and veterinarian for The Rugby Veterinarian Service. "I know there are vet clinics closing down left, right and center because they can't find anybody to hire or can't find anyone to buy their practice. More and more, there are veterinary clinics that are not able to take in new clients, so that creates a problem for new people moving in the area. It just seems to be getting worse and worse."
The veterinary shortage is an interconnected problem with no one size fits all solution. The severe shortage of livestock and rural veterinarians can be traced back to the post-World War II era, however, the issue intensified significantly during the 2000s, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
With a growing demand, many animal hospitals, vet techs and veterinarians are taking on bigger work loads leading to burnout, harder to fill hours and a scale back on different specialties due to clinics and hospitals having to account for the growing number of patients and their needs.
Full text: https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2026/09/rural-america-faces-veterinary-shortage
Pigeon Fever Confirmed in Oregon Horse
EDCC Health Watch
Equi-Management.com
September 23, 2026
The State Department of Agriculture has confirmed pigeon fever in a horse in Umatilla County, Oregon. Twelve additional horses have been exposed. The affected horses are under quarantine.
Full text: https://equimanagement.com/news/edcc-health-watch/pigeon-fever-confirmed-in-oregon-horse/
Four Oregon Horses Test Positive for Pigeon Fever
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
September 24, 2026
According to the State Department of Agriculture, four horses in Deschutes County, Oregon, have tested positive for pigeon fever, and numerous others have been exposed. The affected horses are under quarantine.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1147347/4-oregon-horses-test-positive-for-pigeon-fever/
Tennessee Horse Contracts Potomac Horse Fever
EDCC Health Watch
TheHorse.com
September 24, 2026
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has confirmed Potomac horse fever (PHF) in a horse in Washington County. No additional details are currently available.
Full text: https://thehorse.com/1147351/tennessee-horse-contracts-potomac-horse-fever/
5. Bird flu strain circulated undetected for months, ASU study finds
Authors say gap exposes critical weakness in nation's disease surveillance network; offer solutions for tracking next migration season
By Rithwik Kalale
Arizona State Univ.
September 23, 2026
A new study led by an Arizona State University researcher found that a fast-moving strain of bird flu went undetected in North American wild birds for roughly three months before health officials identified it.
The authors say the gap exposes a critical weakness in the nation's disease surveillance network.
The study was led by Matthew Scotch - an ASU professor and senior associate dean in the College of Health Solutions who also holds an appointment as assistant center director at the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering - in collaboration with the Arizona Game & Fish Department.
The research focuses on D1.1, a genetic variant of the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus that has been driving the global bird flu outbreak of the past several years.
The team's "evolutionary analysis," as Scotch described, compared genetic sequences gathered in Arizona with thousands of publicly available viral sequences from across the country. He described the result as "a period of cryptic, or unsampled, circulation."
The analysis suggests the lineage that became D1.1 broke off from its relatives well before it was ever detected, and that "the major expansion of D1.1 probably began around the summer of 2024, before the first recognized detection in September (2024)."
6. Amendments To Import Requirements for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Proposed Rules
Pages 60521-60524
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2026-19532
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Parts 93 and 94
[Docket No. APHIS-2023-0069]
RIN 0579-AE77
Amendments To Import Requirements for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY: Current APHIS regulations specify that live birds and other avian commodities may not be exposed to highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI) or sourced from premises quarantined for HPAI within the 90 days immediately preceding export to the United States. We are
proposing to reduce this timeframe to 28 days preceding export to the United States. This action is necessary to align APHIS regulations with
international standards regarding HPAI transmission. This action would allow foreign regions to resume the export of live birds and other
avian commodities to the United States sooner following an outbreak of HPAI, while still providing adequate safeguards that the importation of
the birds or other avian commodities does not present a risk of disseminating HPAI within the United States.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before November 23, 2026.
Full text: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-24/html/2026-19532.htm