Conduct a quality assurance program for game fowl breeders to protect the region from newcastle disease virus and avian influenza

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $315,000 Cooperative Agreement to University of California, Davis on April 1, 2026 to conduct a quality assurance program for game fowl breeders protecting the region from Newcastle disease virus and avian influenza under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

UC Davis will create, document, maintain, and expand a game fowl assurance program through four primary activities. Recruitment efforts include quarterly visits to 10 new game fowl breeders to explain program benefits, outreach to 100+ breeders through radio interviews and one podcast chapter on poultry diseases, and visits to 5 feed stores in the historical quarantine region. Training and education on biosecurity and vaccination will occur at quarterly feed store events addressing foreign animal diseases, disease prevention, and poultry medicine, supplemented by one podcast chapter on biosecurity and disease prevention. The program will distribute a minimum of 50 factsheets per quarter focused on feed stores and program members. Disease surveillance will collect at least 50 swab pools per quarter for detection of avian influenza, Newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis, and infectious coryza. The program will facilitate pick-up and drop-off of sick and dead birds for necropsy at the California State Food Safety Laboratory and cover associated fees. The program will also create efficacy studies for communication methods, training sessions, and vaccination strategies.

Performance occurs in California with a period of performance from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027.

Activities to be performed - create, document, maintain and expand a game fowl assurance program; contact and recruit game fowl breeders; provide training and education on biosecurity and vaccination; distribute factsheets and videos; provide area disease surveillance; create efficacy studies for communication methods, training sessions, and vaccination. (1) recruitment of gamefowl breeders: visit 10 new gamefowl breeders per quarter to explain the benefits of joining the program. Reach 100+ breeders through radio interviews and providing 1 podcast chapter on poultry diseases. Visit 5 feed stores in the historical quarantine region to promote the program and meet breeders on site. (2) training and education on biosecurity and vaccination: join feedstore events (1 per quarter) to talk about foreign animal diseases, diseases prevention, answer poultry medicine questions and promote diagnostic laboratories. These events are well attended and include owners but also clients. One podcast chapter to train and educate members and recruit new members in topics of biosecurity, disease prevention and promote the state diagnostic laboratory. All visits to members and non-members contain education in biosecurity and vaccination. (3) distribute fact sheets and videos: a minimum of 50 fact sheets will be distributed per quarter. We will focus on feed stores and gamefowl program members. (4) disease surveillance: in case of susp icious signs, collect at least 50 swab pools for detection of poultry pathogens (avian influenza, newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis, and infectious coryza) per quarter. Promote the use of the state laboratory providing pick-up and drop-off of sick and dead birds for necropsy at the california state and food safety laboratory. The program will pay for the fees. At least 5 cases per quarter. (5) efficacy studies for communication methods: we have been generating data doing applied investigations on how well vaccination programs work in these birds. In the last year we generated data comparing different vaccination programs: live attenuated, live + inactivated and live + recombinant. Recombinant vaccines were the most effective and maintained protection for over one year with measurable antibodies. This year we will test post hatch (up to 3 weeks after hatch) vaccination with recombinant vaccines. After confirming its effectiveness, we will focus on massive vaccination using this strategy. The aim is to vaccinate and educate all members of the program during these next contract cycle. This will occur in april, and titers will be measured throughout the whole year to test longevity of immunity. *recombinant vaccines with a turkey herpesvirus (HVT) vector are capable of self-boosting. Turkey herpesvirus (HVT) being a herpes virus reactivates in periods of stress, making IT the best vaccine choice for birds that are not heavily handled. These vaccines have been used for several years in commercial poultry but were never used in gamefowl until we tested them. With the help of vaccine companies, which are willing to help, this will be most likely the best way of protecting these flocks and reduce shedding in case of an active velogenic newcastle disease virus (NDV) outbreak. (6) vaccination and vaccination training sessions: train united state department of agriculture (USDA) and california department of food and agriculture (cdfa) live inspectors to vaccinate using the above-mentioned methods. We will focus this year on recombinant vaccine application. After confirming effectiveness in chicks, we will train 4 teams of 4 people including veterinarians and live inspectors from california department of food and agriculture (cdfa) and USDA. In this way 4 teams will be able to vaccinate independently for a total of 100 farms by the end of this contract. Deliverables and expected outcomes - meet the needs for surveillance, preparedness, response, and outreach necessary to protect american agriculture and accomplish veterinary services mission goals. Collect at least 200 swab pools to early detect high path avian influenza (hpai), newcastle disease and surveil endemic diseases such as infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT), coryza. Attend at least 100 sick calls during this year, 25 per quarter. Using the new recombinant vaccine strategy, vaccinate the chicks of at least 100 premises. Distribute 50 fact sheets per quarter. Visit 5 feed stores per quarter. 1 feed store event and one podcast episode per quarter. Visit 10 new farms for recruitment per quarter. These strategy allows foreign animal disease (FAD) early detection and better understanding of the endemic diseases that might menace the commercial poultry industry, better diagnostics through submission of dead and sick animals to the state laboratory for adequate disease investigation, close contact with gamefowl breeders and better communication and strategy in case of a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak, better training and education of small flock owners and finally increase the program members. Intended b eneficiaries - california and united states' agriculture producers and consumers. US poultry and EGG producers. Direct beneficiaries of this program are: gamefowl breeders in southern CA, so far 300 breeder flocks. 30 feedstores in the historical quarantine region (perris, miraloma, muscoy, SAN bernardino). 5 poultry fairs annually in southern california. Indirect beneficiaries: gamefowl owners across the US 1,000+ that commercialize with the breeders we serve. California state poultry industry (produces 1.3 billion in products annually). U.S. Poultry industry and business (we are the first producer of poultry products in the world). U.S. Poultry exports (we are the 1ST or 2ND exporter of poultry products in the world depending on the year). Subrecipient activities - not applicable.