The outbreak of the avian flu has had a dramatic impact on Pennsylvania over the last year and a half.
As for the state’s response, Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding feels they’ve been able to handle the situation, but finding personnel is becoming a bigger issue.
“The truthful answer is we’re okay. But, to be fully prepared we know we need more veterinarians, more staff, and technicians across the state. So, we need more,” Redding said.
Redding says there have been employee fatigued and recruiting challenges to get more people involved in the response.
“This has been seven days a week since last April. Attracting folks to public service and regulatory medicine has proven to be really challenging,” Redding said. “And the work that you’re asking them to do is not always the most pleasant of work.”
Pennsylvania leads the country in the most cases of the avian flu in the last 30 days. However, there have been no reported cases in Butler County during that time.
