Funded projects will enhance food safety, increase food processing efficiency, and promote availability of Washington grown, caught, and raised foods.

As spring brings migratory birds to Washington along the Pacific Flyway, the risk of avian influenza (bird flu) rises. Ducks, geese, and swans can carry the virus without symptoms, exposing backyard or commercial poultry before warning signs appear.

Spring is a good time to review your horse’s vaccination plan. WSDA encourages horse owners to work with their veterinarians each year to make sure horses are protected before peak exposure season. Vaccines help reduce the risk of serious diseases such as Tetanus, Equine encephalomyelitis, Equine influenza, Equine herpesvirus, Strangles, and Rabies.

WSDA is seeing an increase in late-term abortions, birth defects, and weak calves in dairy herds across Eastern Washington. Diagnostic testing has identified Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Bluetongue virus, both spread by biting midges (“no-see-ums”). These viruses can affect pregnant cattle, leading to fetal malformations and reproductive losses.