GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu (HPAI) continues to pose a threat, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced Wednesday that it is issuing an emergency order to protect local livestock.
What MDARD is calling a "HPAI Risk Reduction Response Order" is set to put in place a number of new requirements to try to keep local dairy and commercial poultry supplies safe.
Included in the measures, these places must designate a biosecurity manager and a line of separation to limit access points to secure areas.
They must also have cleaning and disinfection in place for those access points and log everyone who entered through those points.
On top of that, no lactating dairy cattle or those in the last two months of pregnancy, the department said, can be exhibited until there have been no new avian flu cases in dairy cattle in Michigan for 60 days.
As MDARD made its announcement, officials branded these as steps being guided by science.
"We're in close contact with states across the country as they work through this issue as well," MDARD Director Dr. Tim Boring said. "But these are science-based recommendations here of what we're seeing on the ground here in Michigan and in coordination with state and other state and federal partners. So, it really represents a comprehensive effort here to control and mitigate spread of the virus."
Also as part of this order, no poultry can be a part of exhibitions or expositions until there have been no new cases in the state's poultry for the past 30 days.
This order is set to take effect on May 8.
Boring also made clear that more steps might be taken as they learn more about the disease.
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