BIOSECURITY COMPLIANCE AUDITS TO PREVENT OUTBREAKS OF HPAI AND RISK BASED PLANNING TO IMPROVE OUTBREAK RESPONSE

The biosecurity videos and other educational materials our Poultry Extension Team developed and disseminated from our 2015 Special Needs Grant provided timely science-based information on Avian Influenza and practical biosecurity measures to prevent AI outbreaks. However, the current outbreaks of HPAI in the U.S. have highlighted an urgent need to improve compliance of poultry producers and personnel with standard biosecurity principles through auditing. These audits will improve preparedness to prevent and control current and future outbreaks. In addition, training of poultry producers and emergency responders on the implementation of secure poultry supply plans to ensure business continuity with minimal risk for non-infected and non-contaminated poultry and poultry products is urgently needed in order to improve our response during HPAI outbreaks.The specific objectivesof this project are:To improve biosecurity compliance among all individuals and groups involved in poultry production by conducting biosecurity audits of poultry facilities with a focus on monitoring compliance with the NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan) Biosecurity Program Standards which contains critical steps that were highlighted in the biosecurity videos our team developed in 2015 through funding from our USDA-NIFA Smith-Lever Special Needs grant.To improve response during HPAI outbreaks through communicating and encouraging the implementation of secure poultry supply plans to ensure business continuity with minimal risk for non-infected and non-contaminated poultry and poultry products.