With 720 cases of highly pathogenic avian flu in 15 states, USDA has issued a new federal order requiring raw milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing.

The new guidance from USDA — which was developed with input from state, veterinary and public health stakeholders — will facilitate comprehensive HPAI H5N1 surveillance of the nation’s milk supply and dairy herds, according to the agency.

“Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The strategy

This National Milk Testing Strategy, or NMTS, is designed to:

•Increase USDA’s and public health partners’ understanding of the virus’ spread in the U.S. through a structured, uniform and mandatory testing system that will help swiftly identify which states, and specific herds within them, are affected with H5N1.

•Support the rapid implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures to decrease the risk of transmission to other livestock.

•Inform critical efforts to protect farmworkers to help lower their risk of exposure.

USDA believes this additional step is needed to proactively support effective biosecurity measures, which is key for states and farmers to contain and eliminate H5N1 infections from their livestock and to eliminate HPAI in livestock across the U.S. dairy population.

Requirements

The federal order requires:

•The sharing of raw milk samples, upon request, from any entity responsible for a dairy farm, bulk milk transporter, bulk milk transfer station or dairy processing facility that sends or holds milk intended for pasteurization.

•Herd owners with positive cattle to provide epidemiological information that enables activities such as contact tracing and disease surveillance.

•Private laboratories and state veterinarians report positive results to USDA that come from tests done on raw milk samples.

The first round of silo testing is scheduled to begin the week of Dec. 16, although some states are already conducting testing compatible with the strategy.

Interstate shipment

The new federal order does not override or supersede USDA’s April 24 federal order, which still requires the mandatory testing of lactating dairy cows prior to interstate shipment and requires that all privately owned laboratories and state veterinarians report positive test results.

APHIS will work with each state in the contiguous U.S. to execute testing in a way that works for the state and that aligns with the NMTS standards. Once a state begins testing under the NMTS, APHIS will place that state into one of five stages based on the HPAI H5N1 virus prevalence in that state.

The staging will provide a stronger picture of progress towards eliminating HPAI H5N1 at state, regional and national levels.

Long-term plan

After all states move through Stage Four, ongoing absence of H5N1 in dairy cattle, APHIS will work with the states to begin periodic sampling and testing to illustrate long-term absence from the national herd.

The first round of testing will include California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.