The detection of avian influenza in a pig is noteworthy, but North Dakota State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress downplayed the impact on animal agriculture in the state. “As long as this remains an isolated incident and we continue down the same path, there should not be much cause for concern.” Andress said the focus should remain on biosecurity and the wild bird population. “At the state level, we know that this virus is in the process of moving south with the migratory birds. The dairy variant, apparently at this point, is not within the migratory birds so it’s mostly monitoring activity across the country. Nothing really has changed with this event as far as what it looks like in North Dakota.”
