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In my first LinkedIn article in January, I addressed the growing threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) facing the poultry and livestock industry across producers, veterinarians and government agencies, as well as the urgent need for action. We have the technology, tools and solutions to identify, track and quell the spread, so why aren’t we doing more as a nation to curb this catastrophe? I suggested a deeper collaboration between regulatory agencies and industry; investment in pilot programs to investigate the use of innovative technologies and solutions as one approach. Another would be increased awareness and accelerated licensure and adoption of existing rapid molecular testing solutions for HPAI in the field.
It's encouraging to see that significant changes have occurred over the past several months, empowering producers, veterinarians and government agencies to fight the spread and evolution of HPAI, also known as avian flu, bird flu and H5N1 (one of many variants). States and Federal agencies, alongside the biotech and life sciences tools industries, are now increasingly investing in solutions to curb the progress of this infectious disease.
For example, following California’s lead, Iowa, Louisiana and Colorado, have issued emergency/disaster declarations due to the rapid spread of avian flu in their states. Representatives from Louisiana and Colorado, as well as Pennsylvania, presented on their surveillance, public health actions, and overall emergency preparedness and response efforts to H5N1 at the National Governors Association in February.
The Federal government is also taking action now, to lead the way. In February, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $1 billion dollar comprehensive strategy to curb HPAI, protect the U.S. poultry industry and lower egg prices, in addition to its existing funding to indemnify growers for depopulated flocks. The agency is taking a five-pronged approach to prevent the introduction or spread of avian flu, as well as support America’s farmers and ranchers by:
- Investing in gold-standard biosecurity measures for all U.S. poultry producers. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will lead this $500 million expansion of biosecurity assessments and audits
- Increasing relief to aid farmers and accelerate repopulation
- Removing unnecessary regulatory burdens on the chicken/egg industry to further innovation and reduce consumer prices
- Exploring pathways toward vaccines, therapeutics and research to improve response strategies (e.g., diagnostics, biosecurity, surveillance) for the protection of egg laying chickens to reduce instances of depopulation. In April, the $100 million USDA-led initiative, HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge Funding Opportunity, announced that it was seeking proposals for projects in these areas
- Considering temporary import-export options to reduce costs on consumers and evaluate international best practices
Solutions within the biotech industry exist that can support these government initiatives. For example, in addition to the vaccines previously mentioned, Alveo Technologies has developed a platform to specifically help with biosecurity and surveillance. Our first-of-its-kind Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza Test is a portable molecular test for H5N1 made possible by IntelliSense™, a patented method of direct electrical sensing of nucleic acid amplification. The rugged design of our palm sized analyzer allows users to test at the Point of Need™ – on the farm and in the field – for different pathogens and receive accurate and rapid results in about 45 minutes via a mobile app. Through our Alveo Vista portal, the raw data and analytics from these results can be automatically geotagged, uploaded to the cloud in a private and secure environment, and then exported for regulatory agencies and state veterinarians to have actionable insights at light speed. Our technology is already in use in the EU and Middle East.
We know the demand for surveillance will increase under the USDA’s HPAI strategy. The more surveillance that can be done on site to provide real-time results, the more likely we can get ahead of the avian flu and respond in a timely manner that will make a difference. Through an investigational pilot program in the poultry industry like I have recommended, our goal would be to demonstrate the benefits and uses of this lab-quality diagnostic tool for early detection in an advanced and evolving surveillance program. Enabling all stakeholders to test out this solution on a pilot basis ahead of regulatory approval may also help to inform new policy.
The ability to “know sooner/act faster” with Alveo Sense allows producers, veterinarians and government agencies to better manage and make decisions quickly regarding the avian flu. Currently, tests are either slow to return results (PCR) or not accurate enough (antigen). While waiting days for results, the virus spreads through flocks or herds and health authorities work with data from tests that are days, maybe even weeks old. Our technology could expedite and support processes within USDA labs to help make their testing more cost-effective and efficient.
For egg-laying producers, early testing would allow them to know immediately if a bird is infected and whether or not to cull or isolate the flock. Even if these birds are someday vaccinated to prevent severe disease, testing is still necessary as they may become infected and potentially spread the virus. For broiler producers, implementing routine testing would provide the confidence they need to ship their product, especially since they may not vaccinate due to concerns with their export markets that may not recognize vaccinated poultry as bird flu free.
Now, more than ever, the need for solutions and collaboration between industry and government is critical, as unfortunately, the bird flu catastrophe has continued to worsen since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began tracking H5N1 in wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard flocks in the U.S. in February 2022. As of April 1, 2025, the CDC reports that 168.26 million birds have been affected, and avian flu has been detected in 1,674 flocks in all 50 states and Puerto Rico; there have also been 70 reported human cases in the U.S. and one death. H5N1 has spread to dairy cows in 17 states, swine, companion pets (cats) and others, such as sheep in the UK. Since we are entering the peak months for the normal spring migration of birds, we may see a rise in the number of cases as the risk for spread increases. Additionally, egg prices recently hit an all-time high here in the United States.
At Alveo, we understand the growing number of challenges that producers, veterinarians and regulatory agencies are facing due to the growing threat of avian flu. We believe that every problem has a clear and oftentimes simple solution when you apply the right knowledge and are open to new perspectives and collaboration. If you would like to learn more about how we are shifting the paradigm of diagnostic molecular testing and monitoring with our secure, cloud connected, rapid testing solution with Point of Need™ detection, please visit https://www.alveotechnologies.com/alveo-sense-poultry.
