暗黑爆料 brief:
As chronic wasting disease and avian influenza spread among wildlife and livestock in the Mountain West, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is targeting new funding at efforts to keep these and other deadly diseases in check.
About $12 million for state, tribal and local governments to control chronic wasting disease 鈥� an always-fatal disease among ungulates like deer and elk that's hitting herds across .
The USDA $16 million in farm bill funding to protect animal health in agriculture. Much of the focus is on diseases like , and , according to Jenny Lester Moffitt, the USDA's undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.
鈥淲e always want to keep these foreign animal diseases out of our country, and these new tools that Congress has given us have enhanced our efforts,鈥� Moffitt said during a recent congressional hearing. 鈥淲e are better prepared to detect, to respond [to] and to eliminate foreign animal diseases because of them.鈥�
Some money from the farm bill will be allocated to federal agencies, but specific funding will also go to the Idaho and Colorado departments of agriculture to focus on initiatives in those states.
Avian flu is a global concern right now as the world . The virus has spread to other mammals, including in , Wyoming and , though Moffitt said the current strain poses a low risk to humans.
鈥淲e know how to respond quickly so producers can get back to producing food,鈥� she said.
This story was produced by the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West 暗黑爆料 Bureau is provided in part by the .
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