Laura Mahecha
Director of Agrochemicals, Chemicals and Materials
Livestock biosecurity is becoming increasingly important across U.S. animal production as producers respond to a mix of domestic disease threats and foreign animal diseases. The greatest concerns for livestock producers are animal mortality, production losses, and disruptions to normal operations caused by these diseases.
For suppliers of pest control products and animal health solutions, these disease concerns are also influencing biosecurity practices across livestock operations. While pesticides and other pest control products do not directly prevent these diseases, they often play an important supporting role by helping producers control pests, vectors, and other risk factors that can contribute to disease spread.
Key Takeaways
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is no longer only a poultry concern. The spread of H5N1 from poultry into dairy cattle is reshaping how producers think about biosecurity, demonstrating the growing importance of cross-species disease prevention and One Health approaches.
African Swine Fever (ASF) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) continue to be major issues for pork producers.
New World Screwworm, Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), bovine anaplasmosis, and bovine babesiosis are among the leading concerns for beef and dairy producers.
Wildlife, transportation, people, and shared equipment remain important pathways for disease introduction and spread.
Pest control products are increasingly being evaluated as part of broader biosecurity strategies.
Biosecurity is becoming a cross-species issue requiring a more integrated approach to livestock health management.
Poultry, HPAI and other affected species
One of the most concerning diseases, particularly among poultry producers, is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), a severe form of avian influenza, commonly known as “bird flu”. HPAI continues to affect U.S. poultry flocks and remains widely distributed globally. Risk factors include:
Wild bird contact
Shared equipment
Animal movement between farms
Milk transport vehicles
Farm visitors and service personnel
Early findings from Kline’s ongoing survey indicate that HPAI, salmonella, fowl cholera, and coccidiosis are the most concerning diseases among both poultry layer and egg producers.
These diseases and concerns affect poultry producers, dairies, egg operations and turkey farms. While insecticides cannot protect poultry from HPAI, there are some that can help indirectly such as insecticides for flies, darkling beetles, and other pests that can carry organic material on their bodies; rodenticides for rats and mice, which can move between poultry houses and contaminate feed, equipment, or facilities; or wildlife deterrents (where legally permitted) to reduce attraction of wild birds to poultry facilities.
For suppliers, these concerns continue to reinforce the importance of fly control, rodent control, and integrated facility biosecurity programs.
H5N1 and Cross-Species Disease Transmission
For decades, H5N1 was considered primarily a disease of birds, particularly wild waterfowl and poultry. However, influenza viruses can occasionally cross species barriers. The current H5N1 lineage has shown an unusual ability to infect a wide range of mammals, including dairy cattle, cats, foxes, skunks, seals, bears, and other wildlife species. At some point in late 2023 or early 2024, the H5N1 strain appears to have jumped from infected birds into dairy cattle and other animals, transforming what had largely been viewed as a poultry issue into a broader livestock biosecurity concern.
Researchers continue to investigate how the virus entered dairy cattle. Potential pathways include:
Contaminated water
Contaminated feed
Bird droppings in cattle environments
Direct or indirect contact with infected wild birds
Evidence suggests movement of lactating cows, milking equipment, personnel, and/or vehicles and farm equipment may have contributed to spread among dairies.
This development has reinforced the need for livestock producers to think about biosecurity beyond individual species. Disease threats increasingly involve interactions among livestock, wildlife, people, equipment, feed, and the environment.
Hogs and African Swine Fever
Among pork producers, African Swine Fever (ASF) remains one of the most significant foreign animal disease threats. Although ASF has not been detected in the United States, it remains widespread across parts of Europe and Asia and has mortality rates that can approach 100% in some outbreaks.
Areas of concern include:
Illegal pork products
International travelers
Feed ingredients
Contaminated equipment and vehicles
While ASF remains a major concern, early survey results indicate that more than 80% of surveyed hog producers are also concerned about Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) entering their herds.
Other diseases frequently cited by producers include:
Japanese Encephalitis
New World Screwworm
Rift Valley Fever
Although insecticides cannot directly prevent these diseases, products that control flying and biting pests such as mosquitoes and flies, as well as acaricides targeting mites and ticks, can support broader disease-risk reduction efforts. As a result, many producers are increasingly evaluating pest control programs as part of wider biosecurity and operational risk-management strategies.
Beef Cattle and Dairy Cows
Among beef cattle and dairy cow producers, the diseases generating the most concern include:
- Bovine Anaplasmosis
- Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)
- New World Screwworm
- Bovine Babesiosis
New World Screwworm appears to remain largely concentrated in Texas and New Mexico, where herds are located closer to the southern border. However, producer concern remains high because infestations can be fatal if not detected and treated quickly.
Kline has previously explored how New World Screwworm and broader biosecurity concerns are influencing livestock pest control demand and producer decision-making:
The emergence of New World Screwworm has increased attention on wound prevention, fly control, animal monitoring, and rapid-response treatment programs.
Potentially one of the most economically devastating livestock diseases, Foot-and-Mouth Disease has been eradicated in the U.S. since 1929. However, ongoing outbreaks overseas continue to be closely monitored by animal health authorities. FMD affects:
Cattle
Swine
Sheep
Goats
Other cloven-hoofed animals
An FMD incursion would likely trigger immediate export restrictions and major economic losses.
Wildlife and Biosecurity Risks
Wildlife continues to be a major biosecurity challenge for livestock producers.
Examples include:
Wild birds transmitting HPAI to poultry and dairy farms
Feral swine serving as potential reservoirs for ASF, FMD, and other diseases if introduced
Rodents and wildlife spreading pathogens within livestock facilities
These risks continue to drive demand for rodent control, facility sanitation, integrated pest management programs, and broader biosecurity measures.
Animal Movement and Transportation
Animal movement remains one of the largest disease-spread risks facing livestock operations today. Current concerns include:
Interstate cattle movement
Livestock auctions
Shared trailers
Contract service crews
Rendering trucks and feed deliveries
Many disease investigations identify movement of animals, people, or equipment as critical transmission pathways.
Human-Mediated Disease Introduction
Producers are increasingly focused on what many describe as “people biosecurity.” Key risks include:
International travelers returning from regions experiencing livestock disease outbreaks
Veterinarians and service technicians visiting multiple farms
Seasonal labor
Farm visitors
Inadequate sanitation protocols
Biosecurity Is Becoming a One Health Issue
A significant shift over the past several years has been the realization that biosecurity is no longer focused on protecting a single species.
The emergence of H5N1 in dairy cattle has reinforced the importance of a One Health approach that considers interactions among livestock, wildlife, people, feed, equipment, and the environment.
For commercial producers, HPAI remains one of the highest-priority concerns for poultry and dairy operations, while ASF and FMD preparedness continue to be leading concerns for swine and cattle industries.
Across all segments, pest control, disease prevention, and biosecurity are becoming more closely interconnected.
