USDA released its plan Friday to test the nation’s milk supply for avian flu, which has swept through a large portion of the nation’s dairy herd since March.
The department's 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,” USDA said in a news release.
The order also requires herd owners with cattle that have tested positive “to provide epidemiological information that enables activities such as contact tracing and disease surveillance.”
Lastly, the order continues to require private laboratories and state veterinarians “to report positive results to USDA that come from tests done on raw milk samples drawn as part of the NMTS.” That requirement has been in place since earlier this year.
After the first federal confirmation of the H5N1 virus in Texas in March, it was detected in 14 other states and has infected a total of 720 herds, with just over 500 of those in California – nearly half of the state’s approximately 1,100 herds.
In the last 30 days, 269 herds have been infected in California, the nation's largest dairy state, and four in Utah.
Steve Lyle, California Department of Food and Agriculture’s director of public affairs, said the order won’t change what California has in place. Over the last few months the state has coordinated surveillance of herds and milk supply and regularly issued updated guidance for dairy operations. As of Dec. 6, roughly half of California’s 1,100 dairies have been infected.
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In addition to California, five states already meet the testing requirements: Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
USDA said it developed the strategy “with significant input from state, veterinary and public health stakeholders.”
Jamie Jonker, chief science officer of the National Milk Producers Federation, said that while testing is mandatory nationwide, “USDA will be working with states individually to formalize each state’s testing plans. The first six states already have initiated testing which meets the USDA Federal Order. The remaining states will be added over the next few weeks to months.”
A USDA spokesperson said that "In the coming weeks, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will include additional states in the national milk testing strategy. Throughout this process APHIS will continue to support and offer resources to states that develop bulk milk testing plans in a way that meets the needs of each state and the importance of the response."
"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," USDA said. "As states move to another stage, we will have a stronger picture of our progress towards eliminating HPAI H5N1 at state, regional and national levels.” The status of each state will be tracked and published by APHIS.
- Stage 1: Nationwide milk testing at milk silos at dairy processing facilities to track the disease and potentially affected herds.
- Stage 2: Creating bulk tank sampling programs to enable APHIS to identify herds with H5N1.
- Stage 3: Enhance affected states’ biosecurity, movement control and contact tracing programs.
- Stage 4: Regular bulk tank sampling in states that remain unaffected.
- Stage 5: Once all states pass Stage 4, each will begin periodic sampling.
USDA will host information sessions on Dec. 10 and 11 for all state animal health officials and state dairy regulators to learn more about the silo monitoring and sampling procedures.
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Chloe Lovejoy ,in Sacramento, contributed to this report.
