Vermont veterinarians urge stronger H5N1 surveillance, workforce support and careful handling of xylazine

Dr. Karen Bradley, speaking for the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association, told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry committee that recent detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) make expanded testing and milk surveillance urgent and described persistent shortages of food-animal veterinarians that state loan-repayment grants help to address.

In testimony, Bradley said federal and state action on several fronts was needed: better H5N1 surveillance of milk and poultry, continued state support for the Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Grant, and careful policy on the sedative xylazine so veterinarians retain access for legitimate animal care. "We are on the front lines of finding and seeing animal disease that could be our next pandemic," Bradley said. "This virus is very, very scary. It can mutate very well. It's about one mutation away from being human to human transmission."

The committee heard that Vermont currently runs targeted H5N1 testing: samples of influenza A are being subtype-tested to detect H5N1 and, as Bradley noted, 170 samples had been run recently with negative results.…