With avian flu sweeping through the country, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is demanding that the Trump administration take immediate action to contain the outbreak, develop a vaccine for poultry, and address rising egg prices.
Speaking at a virtual press conference Thursday, Gillibrand urged the administration to restore public access to critical avian flu data and reinstate federal officials responsible for tracking the disease. The senator warned that without swift action, the virus could devastate New York’s poultry and dairy industries while posing a growing threat to human health.
Avian flu spreads, hitting poultry and cattle
The current outbreak has led to the culling of more than 150 million birds nationwide, including 100,000 at a single Long Island farm. New York has been particularly hard hit, with bird flu detected in 44 of the state’s 62 counties. A new strain of the virus was recently found in dairy cattle in Nevada, raising concerns about potential human transmission.
Despite the severity of the outbreak, Gillibrand accused the Trump administration of limiting public access to crucial data on the spread of the disease and failing to provide adequate support for containment efforts.
“Avian flu is decimating bird populations, and the subsequent shortage of egg-laying hens is making eggs unaffordable for working New Yorkers,” Gillibrand said. “President Trump must act now to contain this outbreak. I am urging him to do everything in his power to prioritize the development of a vaccine to inoculate chickens against avian flu and fulfill his campaign promise to bring down grocery prices.”
Push for vaccine development and transparency
Gillibrand called on the administration to fast-track poultry vaccine research, particularly for large-scale commercial farms where individual injections are not feasible. She suggested using federal facilities such as Plum Island and the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to accelerate vaccine development.
She also criticized the administration for allegedly suppressing scientific data, noting that recent reports on avian flu transmission between household pets and humans had been removed from public health bulletins. “The midst of a potential public health crisis is not the time to hide information,” she said.
Economic and health risks loom
Beyond the immediate threat to poultry farmers, Gillibrand emphasized that the outbreak’s economic impact extends to dairy farmers, supply chains, and consumers facing skyrocketing egg prices. The longer the outbreak goes uncontained, she warned, the greater the risk to food security and public health.
In a letter to top officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Trade Representative, Gillibrand requested monthly updates on vaccine progress, international trade coordination, and government efforts to engage the scientific community.
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