WASHINGTON — The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on Dec. 30 an interim final rule that updates the conditions for poultry facilities to receive indemnity and compensation after a positive test of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

The agency stated that a biosecurity audit would be required for farmers before restocking poultry after an HPAI detection and before receiving future indemnity payments.

State and federal veterinary officials, along with poultry farmers, continue to face biosecurity challenges, including multiple infections on their farms. 

Data from the 2022-2024 HPAI outbreak detailed that updated regulations can help prevent this disease’s further spread. This change follows significant outreach to the industry about potential regulation changes, information sharing about biosecurity best practices and on-farm engagement by APHIS staff following HPAI detections.

“During the outbreak of HPAI in 2014 and 2015, US poultry owners made great improvements to biosecurity to protect their flocks, which greatly reduced the presence of HPAI among the country’s poultry flock,” said Rosemary Sifford, DVM, USDA chief veterinary officer. “Biosecurity is proven to be our best weapon in fighting this virus, and this update will ensure that poultry producers who received indemnity for HPAI are taking measures to stop future introductions of the disease and avoiding actions that contribute to its spread.”

Numbers from APHIS said that since the recent HPAI outbreak in 2022, the agency made indemnity payments to more than 1,200 products, with 67 unique commercial poultry premises having at least two HPAI infections during the outbreak. APHIS also reported 18 premises infected three or more times. Those with reinfections have received over $365 million in indemnity payments, out of nearly $1.1 billion distributed in total.

Along with biosecurity audits, APHIS would require a biosecurity audit of commercial poultry premises within the “buffer zone” or a 7-kilometer radius around the infected zone before extending more future indemnity to the owner. 

“Additionally, APHIS will not pay indemnity for flocks moved onto premises in active infected zones if the flocks become infected with HPAI within 14 days following the dissolution of the control area around an active infected premises,” the agency said.

If a producer does not make corrections in an APHIS biosecurity audit, it will not be eligible for indemnity payments if the premises experience future infections within the same outbreak.