Amid rising concerns over the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the United States, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, known as Rosselkhoznadzor, is reportedly weighing up the idea of temporarily stopping the flow of all US poultry products across its lands to Kazakhstan.
This development, as narrated by the Russian news outlet RIA Novosti, comes in response to the alarming increase in HPAI cases reported by the World Organization for Animal Health in the US this year.
The heart of the matter for Rosselkhoznadzor is the safeguarding of both Russian and Kazakhstan territories from the avian flu’s potential threat. It’s noteworthy that the transit of US poultry through Russia to Kazakhstan has already seen a significant drop – from 23,000 tons in 2022 to under 15,000 tons in 2023.
In a related vein, Rosselkhoznadzor has also turned its attention to disturbing reports of mass deaths among marine mammals in countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Over in the US, the situation with HPAI is becoming increasingly dire. Just last week, California’s animal health authorities confirmed a staggering count of over 549,000 HPAI cases among commercial poultry and non-poultry birds in two counties since December 18, as per the records of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
This looming decision by Russia to potentially put a stopper on the US poultry transit underscores a growing global alertness to the avian flu crisis, spotlighting the interconnectedness of animal health, international trade, and wildlife conservation.