State veterinarian shares update

INDIANAPOLIS — After his first year as state veterinarian, Kyle Shipman is proud of the work done by the state Board of Animal Health in 2025.

“While H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza dominated much of our time and attention, the state Board of Animal Health was very busy last year in many other areas,” he said. “As we kick off a new year, this is a good time to reflect on all that has been accomplished.”

Year In Review

• BOAH team members provided access to expertise, outreach and resources on topics important to Hoosiers at meetings and events in 2025.

• BOAH investigated ways to incorporate new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in the field and in the office, that will boost efficiency.

• Dairy inspectors collected milk samples from 1,204 tanker loads to verify Indiana’s dairy supply remains free of H5 influenza, in addition to assisting with the HPAI response by helping with environmental sampling on poultry farms.

• The BOAH team spent 20,982 hours managing the 110 HPAI detections on poultry sites. While the virus took a toll on Indiana poultry, the hard work by integrators and farm families led to 93% of Indiana’s commercial flocks remaining HPAI-free.

• Animal welfare investigations continued to occupy more BOAH time, with 4,906 hours dedicated to assisting local agencies and evaluating animals and their environments.

• Animal welfare efforts extend to BOAH’s Meat & Poultry Inspection program, in which veterinarians completed 24 humane-handling audits to safeguard animal welfare.

• The Meat & Poultry Inspection program remained strong, with continued interest from more facilities.

Looking Ahead

“I look forward to what is in store for BOAH in 2026,” Shipman said. “We are watching closely several disease and pest issues, including New World screwworm and Asian longhorned tick.

“Those are motivating us to continue to reiterate the importance of biosecurity on every farm, regardless of size and species. While a strong, deliberate biosecurity plan will never provide 100% protection from everything, controlling as many risks and variables as possible offers the best chance for success.”