Antibiotic usage in animals produced for food has been a controversial topic for the past several years. The concern has been centered on the concept that antibiotic use in food animals may induce antibiotic resistance in potential food-borne pathogens for humans.
One of the many effects of our recent experiences with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been the difficulties that the primary breeding industry in the U.S. has had in exporting its products and also moving breeding stock within the United States.
As the U.S. poultry industry continues to deal with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection in the Midwest, it is important to reflect on why this virus has spread through a section of the industry and how the poultry industry has prepared itself for control of this disease.
The poultry industry in the United States and globally has been faced with many challenges over the years in the continued process of economically producing safe, wholesome products for a wide range of consumer needs.
The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) was established in response to a need to control diseases whose existence was incompatible with the development of a modern poultry industry.
