Defend the Flock Newsletter / Summer Edition 2021 

Defend the Flock: Your Biosecurity Bulletin 

TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS: 

Defend the Flock: How 

Avian Infuenza Affects 

Us All 

USDA APHIS hosted a free webinar that shared frsthand accounts of how devastating poultry disease 

outbreaks such as avian infuenza can be to poultry 

keepers and their communities and the importance 

of making biosecurity an everyday practice. 

The webinar featured Dr. Julie Gauthier with the 

USDA, Dr. Dale Lauer from the Minnesota Board 

of Animal Health, Dr. Rocio Crespo, from NC State 

University, and Dr. Denise Heard, from the U.S. 

Poultry & Egg Association. 

You can listen to a replay of the webinar and see the 

follow-up Q&A at the Defend the Flock Resource 

Center, under the “Webinars” tab. 

Q&AVet for a Day: A Talk with

 Dr. Fidelis (Fidel) Njell Hegngi

We asked Dr. Fidel Njell Hegngi, Senior Staff Veterinarian at USDA APHIS 

Veterinary Services, what it is like to “Defend our Flocks.” 

1. How did you become involved with

poultry medicine? I came to the United States

from Cameroon with plans to study medicine.

As an undergrad I had the opportunity to take

poultry classes and, in spite of being a city

boy, realized I enjoyed working with chickens.

This ultimately led to a Doctorate in Veterinary

Medicine and advanced studies in avian and

poultry medicine at the Virginia-Maryland

Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

Since then, I have worked as a private small

animal veterinarian, at commercial poultry facilities, as director of an animal 

diagnostic laboratory, as an assistant state veterinarian, and fnally at the 

federal level with USDA APHIS. 

2. You have been with USDA APHIS for 17 years. How have

biosecurity practices changed over this time? When I joined APHIS

17 years ago, we were recovering from the virulent Newcastle disease

(vND) outbreak of 2002-2003. That outbreak mostly affected backyard

focks and APHIS realized the need to include backyard growers in

biosecurity planning and education. This resulted in the Biosecurity for

Birds campaign, an early version of Defend the Flock. Then we had the

highly pathogenic avian infuenza (HPAI) outbreak of 2014-2015, which

mostly spread within commercial poultry producers. APHIS worked with

the poultry industry and the offcial state agencies (OSA) to offcially develop

the NPIP’s 14 Biosecurity Principles. These principles are the basis ofthe

Defend the Flock checklists which you can download for free at the

Defend the Flock Resource Center.

continued 

Report Sick Birds 

If you see signs of illness, take action right away! 

Veterinarian 

Cooperative Extension Offce 

State Veterinarian/Animal or Poultry Diagnostic Lab 

USDA 866.536.7593 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

 Phone Number 
 

Defend the Flock Newsletter / Summer Edition 2021 

SAVE THE DATE

PREVENTING AVIAN 

INFLUENZA INTRODUCTIONS: 

FOCUS ON THE BIG RISKS 

Thursday, September 23, 2021 

2:30-3:30 P.M. ET 

New Defend the Flock webinar 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and the 

Defend the Flock website for updates 

Be a #FlockDefender! 

New Poultry Biosecurity Outreach Effort 

Aimed at Youth and Student Audiences 

Youth are the future of our nation’s poultry farming 

and industry. The #FlockDefender outreach program 

shares the agency’s existing Defend the Flock 

message that encourages and prepares all poultry 

owners to implement diligent biosecurity practices 

with future and aspiring growers. APHIS provides 

youth, students and their leaders and teachers with 

many electronic resources they can use during 

meetings, classes and when caring for their focks. 

APHIS is also encouraging these young poultry 

enthusiasts to share photos of their poultry or 

biosecurity practices. 

Show off your fock! 

Share photos of your 

poultry or biosecurity 

practices with us. We 

will use your pictures on 

the Defend the Flock 

social media pages. 

Q&AVet for a Day: A Talk with

 Dr. Fidelis (Fidel) Njell Hegngi

 continued 

3. Are there differences in the way you address biosecurity

with specifc audiences? There is no one size fts all. With backyard

growers, I stress the importance of cleanliness, water and food storage,

and keeping sick birds separate. It’s human nature to be neighborly

and share but it’s not neighborly to spread disease, so it’s necessary

to clean and disinfect tools. I also stress the importance of recognizing

signs of poultry disease, what to do, and who to call. For commercial

premises, biosecurity plans have to take into account structural

components, employees, large equipment, and effciency—hence a

stronger emphasis on Lines of Separation or Perimeter Buffer Areas.

Biosecurity is always a team effort.

4. APHIS has launched a biosecurity campaign geared to youth

and student poultry owners. What message would you give these

young poultry growers? Don’t think of biosecurity as an expense, but

as an investment in your birds’ health. It may seem like a diffcult concept,

but it’s about being practical 

and using common sense to 

prevent transmission of disease. 

Also, be mindful of “real life” 

circumstances that may lead to 

breaches, such as the weather. 

Don’t drop your guard because 

it’s too cold or you don’t want to 

be out in the rain. Look at it like 

life insurance—when you need it, 

hope that you have it. 

“Biosecurity is a shared responsibility between all of us. These 

outbreaks demonstrate how disease can easily spread among 

all poultry, whether backyard or commercial. The approach to 

biosecurity may be different due to fock size or type of grower 

but the basic concepts remain the same.” 

For more information about how to keep your focks healthy, follow Defend the Flock on 

Facebook and Twitter and visit www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendthefock. 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.