The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of up to $1 billion in investments to combat the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) outbreak, provide poultry farmer relief, and lower egg prices. The five-pronged approach includes investments of up to $500 million to support farm biosecurity and up to $100 million for the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and other protection strategies for layer chickens.

To guard poultry from wild birds, which USDA cites as the cause of 83 percent of HPAI cases, the agency will expand its Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments (WBAs) to a greater number of farms across the country, beginning with egg layer operations. According to USDA, the approximately 150 facilities that already follow the protocols promoted by WBAs have experienced only one HPAI H5N1 outbreak thus far. Additionally, USDA will continue free biosecurity audits for all HPAI-affected farms, and audits will be encouraged and made available to surrounding, non-affected farms. Biosecurity shortcomings for affected farms must be addressed to remain eligible for indemnification for future HPAI H5N1 infections.

USDA will also deploy 20 trained epidemiologists as part of its increased biosecurity audits and WBAs to provide actionable and timely advice to producers on how to reduce HPAI risk at their facilities. These experts will help improve current biosecurity measures to focus on protecting against spread through wild birds, in addition to lateral spread. The agency will share up to 75 percent of the costs to remediate the highest-risk biosecurity concerns identified through WBAs and audits, with a total available investment of up to $500 million.

Aside from biosecurity support, USDA is making available up to $100 million in funds for the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and other interventions to protect layer chickens from HPAI H5N1 infection. The agency states that it will work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “ensure the public health and safety of any such approaches include considerations of tradeoffs between public health and infectious disease strategy.”

USDA will solicit public input on solutions, and will involve governors, state agriculture departments, state veterinarians, and poultry and dairy farmers on vaccine and therapeutics strategy, logistics, and surveillance. The agency will immediately begin holding biweekly discussions and will also brief the public on its progress biweekly until further notice.

Update, February 28, 2025: USDA is apparently struggling to convince fired employees responsible for avian flu response to come back to the administration, reported Politico. "Roughly a quarter of employees in a critical office testing for the disease were cut, as well as scientists and inspectors. The dismissals have already helped trigger a partial shutdown at one of the department’s research facilities, according to two USDA employees, interrupting some workers’ efforts to fight bird flu and help livestock recover from illness. Now, agency officials are running into logistical challenges in reinstating its bird flu staff — and convincing them to return to jobs," stated Politico.