Op-ed

Submitted by Larrea Cottingham, Washington State University

Veterinarians swear to use their scientific knowledge to protect animal health and welfare, and promote public health. This commitment places veterinarians on the frontlines of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, the H5N1 virus) outbreak. However, as H5N1 is rearing to become the next pandemic, the industry that should be championing veterinary voices, silences professionals who attempt to raise the alarm about the risks of this disease and the methods used to control it. 

HPAI arose when a milder avian influenza virus mutated within infected chickens on commercial farms, creating the deadly H5N1 virus responsible for HPAI. Since January, 2022 the scale of this crisis has been staggering. In the United States, H5N1 has been detected in nearly 11,000 wild birds and dozens  of mammalian species. Over 125 million poultry have been culled, and in March 2024, the first case of H5N1 in dairy cows was confirmed. The virus has now spread to 875 dairy herds across 16 states, with California declaring a state of emergency in response. There are now 64 confirmed human cases, over half linked to contact with infected dairy cows. 

Throughout the outbreak, the poultry and dairy industries have prioritized profits over transparency. While The National Chicken Council assures the public the virus will not enter the food supply, it has failed to acknowledge the role industrial poultry farming has played in the emergence and spread of H5N1. The American Association of Bovine Practitioners has rebranded HPAI as Bovine Influenza A to “maintain confidence in the safety and accessibility of beef and dairy products for consumers.”

Veterinarians who raise concerns about the management of this zoonotic disease face retaliation from both industries and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Dr. Crystal Heath, a California veterinarian, highlighted the biosecurity risks posed by dead H5N1-positive cows left along public roads. In response, a prominent animal agriculture Facebook page accused her of exploiting the outbreak for personal gain, prompting calls for her veterinary license to be revoked. She faced similar backlash through a coordinated smear campaign by industry groups for opposing the use of Ventilation Shutdown Plus (VSD+) as a method of depopulation. Subsequently, Dr. Heath and several other veterinarians were barred from attending the AVMA’s Humane Endings Symposium, where depopulation methods for disease outbreaks were under discussion.

VSD+ involves sealing buildings and raising the temperature to over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, causing animals inside to die from heatstroke over several hours. Though this method is marketed as a last-resort depopulation strategy, it is endorsed by the AVMA in “constrained circumstances” and has been used extensively on chicken and turkeys to control H5N1 and to kill pigs during COVID-19, despite ethical concerns and the availability of less cruel alternatives.

The AVMA’s approval of VSD+ has enabled corporations who use this method to receive $840 million in taxpayer-funded bailouts from the USDA Livestock Indemnity Payment program. Jennie-O Turkey Store received $107.9 million, while its parent company, Hormel Foods, reported $12.1 billion in net sales in 2023. Tyson Foods received $29 million while earning $13 billion in sales and compensating its CEO $13 million. This system incentivizes a reactive, profit-driven approach to disease management rather than proactive measures to prevent outbreaks in the first place.

Although over 2,000 veterinarians have signed a letter urging the AVMA to reconsider the classification of VSD+ as “not recommended,” in June 2024, the AVMA voted to include depopulation in its Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, equating mass killing methods like VSD+ with humane euthanasia. The AVMA has defended its position by emphasizing "ethical decision-making" and balancing "competing interests.” Yet, its actions suggest a bias toward corporate profits over animal welfare and the ethical obligations of its members.

The AVMA has an opportunity to condemn cruel depopulation methods. By advocating for less cruel alternatives the AVMA can uphold its commitment to animal welfare and public health. Veterinarians and veterinary students can submit comments on the AVMA depopulation guidelines until January 30, 2025, and sign the letter urging the AVMA to reconsider the classification of VSD. This is a critical moment to demand accountability and transparency from an organization that represents the veterinary profession and an industry that relies on veterinary credibility.