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Vilsack approves transfer of funds to support HPAI response efforts

Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has taken action to support response efforts to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.  The Secretary approved the transfer of nearly $263 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to help APHIS continue its work supporting state and local partners to quickly identify and address cases of HPAI in the United States.

Secretary Vilsack previously approved the use of approximately $130 million in emergency funding in mid-March, and APHIS has used these funds to address nationwide HPAI detections to date.  The funds are used to address indemnity, diagnostics, field activities, and other emergency response costs.

The Secretary is authorized to transfer funding from available resources to address emergency outbreaks of animal and plant pests and diseases.

To date the virus has been confirmed in 29 states with more than 33 million domestic birds has been depopulated.