State of the State is the monthly roundup of policy and research for the state of Michigan from MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Arnold Weinfeld is the associate director for the institute. Charley Ballard is an economist at MSU. 

This month’s guest is Kimberly Dodd, a veterinarian and virologist with extensive expertise in emerging infectious diseases. She is currently the director of the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, or VDL, one of the country's premier veterinary diagnostic laboratories.

Pending board approval, Dodd has been recommended to serve as the new dean of Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, effective Aug. 1. 

Weinfeld, Ballard, and Dodd discuss the recent news of bird flu in Michigan.

Conversation Highlights:

(0:52) – What’s in the latest jobs report and is the economy moving full steam ahead?

(4:08) – Why don’t many Americans believe the economy is doing so well? What are the political implications? Michigan will play a key role in the 2024 election. 

(15:07) – Where are we now with bird flu in Michigan?

(20:56) – How is the state of Michigan involved?

(22:53) – Is our milk supply safe? Pasteurization kills the virus. 

(24:07) – Is there any evidence of human-to-human transmission? Should I be worried that I’ll get sick with avian influenza? “The risk to the public remains low. There will likely be additional restrictions in place at county fairs and petting zoos this summer.”

(26:33) – This likely won’t be the last pathogen we see. Talk about the mission and value of MSU’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

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