The US Department of Agriculture is getting ready to deal with the potential return of the avian influenza that may take place later this year. On Tuesday, the department announced that it has given contracts to two drug companies to manufacture doses of avian influenza vaccine for poultry.

Iowa-based Harrisvaccines and France-based Ceva Corp. have received the contracts. Both the companies will manufacture the doses, the number has not been disclosed yet.

It will be the companies’ duty to regularly test the vaccines to keep a tab on their potency. It will also be required on their part to deliver the vaccines in any part of America and that too in 10 days of the request by the National Veterinary Stockpile.

Another step taken by the USDA along with Iowa State University is that they have translated USDA biosecurity training materials from English to Spanish. The translation will help farmers and on-farm workers to completely understand how they can prevent bird flu infections.

Last time, Iowa was hardest hit in the US’s worst ever bird flu outbreak that led to culling around 50 million across the nation. Though the agency’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is yet to give permission for avian influenza vaccine in birds, the agency said that it want to be ready with the stock of vaccine.

"USDA" redirects here. For other uses, see USDA (disambiguation).

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), also known as the Agriculture Department, is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal government policy on farming, agriculture, forestry, and food. It aims to meet the needs of farmers and ranchers, promote agricultural trade and production, work to assure food safety, protect natural resources, foster rural communities and end hunger in the United States and internationally.