Weekly Livestock-Equine News: November 2, 2026

Poultry producers question vaccines for avian metapneumovirus, or aMPV

Poultry producers are questioning how well certain vaccines for aMPV, which were granted conditional approval a year ago by the USDA, protect against genetically distinct strains circulating in the U.S. As a result, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), South Dakota State University and the USPOULTRY are investing $250,000 through the “Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research” program to evaluate how well imported vaccines protect against U.S. strains of avian metapneumovirus and advance the development of a new vaccine based on a U.S. strain of the virus.

USDA to invest $57 million to expand US meat processing capacity

Small and medium-sized meat processors in 40 states are expected to receive $57 million to expand their capacity through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), according to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. Eligible applicants include for‐profit and nonprofit entities, producer-owned cooperatives and corporations, certified benefit corporations, Tribes and Tribal entities, state or local government entities, and other business types (regardless of legal structure). Private entities must be independently owned and operated, and all entities must be domestically owned.

Washington sees spike in HPAI cases

Washington state has gone from zero confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as H5N1, in dairy cattle to nine infected herds in a matter of weeks. The detections began Oct. 8 in Yakima County and have since spread to a second county. A dairy worker in Yakima County who had been exposed to infected cattle also tested positive for H5N1. The worker developed eye irritation and upper respiratory symptoms but did not experience severe illness or require hospitalization. Since the outbreak began in March 2024, HPAI has been detected in dairy cattle in 19 states.

First-ever human infection of Shamonda virus reported from France

French authorities announced the first-ever reported human infection – and death – associated with Shamonda virus (SHAV), a disease that has until now only affected animals. The infection, which involved a severely immunocompromised patient, follows the first-ever detection of SHAV in European farm animals this past summer, though it has been detected in animals in countries outside Europe. SHAV typically spreads between animals through bites from infected midges (Culicoides), but the specific midge species involved in this case is still unknown.

The early life of bovine respiratory viruses

Using advanced sequencing and bioinformatics methods, researchers from Canada and China examined the viruses and bacteria in the upper respiratory tract of beef calves from birth to weaning over the first six months of life. The team tracked changes in viral communities over time and explored interactions between viruses that infect bacteria and their bacterial hosts. The findings are said to provide insights into how respiratory microbial communities develop early in life and how viruses may evolve across different host species.

British Horseracing Authority official makes strong case for wearables

Writing in Horse & Hound magazine, BHA veterinary officer Howard Newitt, MRCVS, explains how wearable technology is transforming equine veterinary care in horseracing. “Sophisticated sensors on a horse’s body can continuously monitor movement, speed, stride length, temperature, cardiac activity and much more,” he writes. “The devices can help us track health, prevent injuries and advance horse welfare by providing real-time information that often was previously impossible to collect outside a clinical setting.