Latest news with #USDAAnimalandPlantHealthInspectionService
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I spy a spotted lanternfly — and I'm gonna crush it. Here's why.
The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species from Asia, is already making a 2025 appearance across the U.S. before the official start of summer. According to the World Population Review tracker, the pest has been spotted in 17 states as the weather gets consistently warmer: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. Here's what the spotted lantern flies look like and why you should destroy them at any stage, including as egg masses. Egg mass Usually found Sept.-June Egg masses look like smears of flat mud. Over time, the mass darkens to a yellowish-brown color. A mass can hold around 30 to 50 eggs Eggs hatch in the spring and early summer, from April through October Early-stage nymphs Typically found in late April through July The newly hatched nymphs are black with white spots Their size ranges from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch Late-stage nymphs Can be found from July to September Red with black and white spots About ½ inch in size Adult Usually seen from July to December. About 1 inch long and ½ inch wide Their tan forewings have black spots. Their hindwings, which are mostly hidden unless the wings are spread, have lower red and upper black patches, separated by a white section. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service advises people to destroy egg masses by smashing and scraping them into a plastic zip bag filled with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them. Zip the bag shut and throw it in the trash. If you spot a lanternfly, kill it by stepping on it or squishing it to help prevent them from spreading, and report the sighting to your state department of agriculture. The spotted lanternfly poses a significant threat to the U.S. agricultural and forestry industries, according to the USDA. They cause infestations in hardwood trees and destroy grapevines and fruit trees, like apples, peaches and nectarines. The nymphs feed on host plants by sucking sap from young stems and branches. When the adults feed, they excrete a sugar-rich fluid called honeydew that builds up under plants and can cause the growth of sooty mold to form, damaging them. Spotted lanternflies are native to southeastern Asia. They hitched a ride to the U.S. on imported goods and were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. While parasitic wasps are natural predators that keep them in check in southeastern Asia, the lanternflies initially lacked native predators in the U.S., which is why their populations have become a problem. But research has identified some possibilities. A recent Pennsylvania State University study found that spined soldier bugs native to North America, in addition to Carolina and Chinese mantises, were effective natural predators at destroying the invasive spotted lanternfly. 'The spotted lanternfly's ability to sequester toxins from its preferred host, the tree of heaven, raises concerns about its vulnerability to predators,' said lead researcher Anne Johnson. 'We hypothesized that the spotted lanternfly might harness the tree's bitter-tasting chemical compounds as a defense mechanism that could protect them against predation.' These pests can travel across state borders by attaching themselves to outdoor equipment, vehicles and bicycles. The USDA asks people to check these items as well as outdoor furniture, tents, tarps and coolers before moving from an area that's known to be populated by the pest to help stop the spread. Spotted lanternflies can lay eggs on pretty much anything, including: light bulbs, fence posts, tires, outdoor furniture and cushions. This handy checklist from the USDA provides a bigger list of items to check before you leave for a new location. If you see egg masses, nymphs or adults: Destroy them.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly bird flu detected in Nevada dairy cattle
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently confirmed the deadly bird flu genotype responsible for killing flocks nationwide was found in Nevada dairy cattle. The APHIS National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) on Friday found the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) genotype D1.1 in dairy cattle, according to a statement. The confirmation came a result of state tracing and investigation, following an initial detection on silo testing under the USDA's National Milk Testing Strategy in Nevada, officials said. Bird Flu Outbreak At Georgia Poultry Facility Pauses Sales "USDA APHIS continues to work with the Nevada Department of Agriculture by conducting additional on-farm investigation, testing, and gathering additional epidemiological information to better understand this detection and limit further disease spread," the statement read. This is the first detection of the virus genotype in dairy cattle – all previous detections in dairy cattle have been a different genotype, B3.13. Read On The Fox Business App Shelling Out: Egg Prices Rise Nearly 37 Percent Genotype D1.1 represents the predominant genotype in the North American flyways over the fall and winter and has been identified in wild birds, mammals and spillovers into domestic poultry, according to APHIS. Eggs are becoming increasingly difficult to find and more expensive nationwide due to the bird flu, Fox Business previously reported. The detection does not change USDA's HPAI eradication strategy and "is a testament to the strength of our National Milk Testing Strategy," according to officials. In the interest of sharing information of import to the scientific community, APHIS will publish a technical brief on the findings on its website and post the sequence data on GenBank in the coming article source: Deadly bird flu detected in Nevada dairy cattle
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise
The first confirmed case of the rare H5N9 bird flu has been reported in the U.S. The virus was confirmed in a commercial duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. 'The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI related events,' the organization wrote in a report. Authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm. Nearly 119,000 birds there had been killed by December. The report comes after news that 100,000 ducks would be killed on a New York farm that was quarantined for an outbreak. Bird flu has spread across the U.S. in recent months, killing a person in Louisiana, sickening nearly 70 others, and resulting in the deaths of hundreds of millions of poultry. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Health
- The Independent
First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise
The first confirmed case of the rare H5N9 bird flu has been reported in the U.S. The virus was confirmed in a commercial duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health. 'The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with State Animal Health and Wildlife Officials, are conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI related events,' the organization wrote in a report. Authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm. Nearly 119,000 birds there had been killed by December. The reports comes after news that 100,000 ducks would be killed on a New York farm that was quarantined for an outbreak.
