On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced four states – Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Texas – are launching a voluntary pilot program to test bulk milk tanks on dairy farms for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1.
Eric Deeble, the acting senior advisor for the H5N1 response at USDA, made the announcement. He noted that there are roughly a dozen additional states interested in participating in the testing.
“But it was important for us to get these four states going so that other states could watch how the program works and gain additional confidence,” Deeble said during a media briefing.*
Routine Bulk Milk Sampling
According to USDA, farmers who voluntarily enter the program will be able to move their herds across state lines without additional testing after bulk milk tanks or similar representative samples test negative for H5N1 for three consecutive weeks.
“Producers must also comply with continued regular weekly monitoring and testing of their herd for H5N1, but that process can happen with very little effort on the part of the producer, using routine bulk milk samples,” Deeble said during his remarks.
To date, 20 herds are now enrolled in USDA financial support programs. Deeble said that number is increasing.
FDA Announces Expanded Testing
More Food Testing
Also on Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it is expanding its H5N1 testing to a include a wider range of dairy products. The products will include aged raw-milk cheese, cream cheese, butter, and ice cream, according to Don Prater, DVM and acting director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition.
In its update, FDA said it will test 155 dairy products collected from retail outlets for H5N1.
The samples being tested include dairy products processed in states that were not included in the agency’s first phase of retail research, the FDA said.
“Additional samples are being taken from areas included in our previous survey to help provide a more representative picture based on the level of dairy product production that occurs in certain regions.”
Individual State Efforts
State governments continue to take proactive measures to address H5N1 in dairy and poultry operations. These include:
Epidemiological Strike Teams
USDA has authorized additional epidemiological strike teams to assist with impacted poultry and dairy farms in Iowa. Researchers have been on the ground in Iowa, for instance, over the past few weeks, according to State Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig. He said USDA is conducting interviews, looking for links between cases, and trying to better understand how the virus may have been introduced into the flocks and herds. Investigations are ongoing and are intended to result in specific biosecurity recommendations that can help farmers and producers better protect their livestock going forward.
USDA Wildlife Services
USDA Wildlife Services personnel continue to work with impacted farms to assist in the surveying of disease in wildlife around Iowa poultry and dairy facilities. From wild birds to rodents, these professionals are capturing wildlife samples for testing to determine the degree to which the virus is present in wildlife on these farms. These investigations, which are ongoing, are helping to inform biosecurity recommendations as well as aid in epidemiological investigations.
*Portions of this article were reported by the States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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