INDIANAPOLIS — Some key updates and messages regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in cattle were shared with American Dairy Association Indiana (ADAI) during a Friday afternoon industry stakeholder call with USDA.
USDA Developments
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Service (APHIS) held a stakeholder Q&A session focused on the latest developments around HPAI in dairy cattle. The call was brief and key updates were as follows:
USDA communicated 26 impacted herds across 8 states – Texas (11), New Mexico (6), Kansas (3), Michigan (2), Idaho (1), South Dakota (1), North Carolina (1), Ohio (1).USDA also stressed the importance of heightened biosecurity measures, including special attention to good milking practices such as equipment disinfection and milking sick cattle separately or last prior to parlor cleaning. Also, isolate newly added cattle when moved onto a premises. USDA will revise the USDA APHIS landing page with updated biosecurity guidance soon.At this time, USDA will not be issuing Federal quarantine orders, nor is APHIS recommending any State regulatory quarantines or official hold orders on cattle. HOWEVER, USDA strongly recommends minimizing movement of cattle as much as possible, with special attention to evaluating risk and factoring that risk into movement decisions.The USDA, CDC and FDA continue to affirm that pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. The FDA does not currently have concerns about the safety or availability of pasteurized milk products nationwide. Pasteurization has continually proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza viruses, in milk and is required for any milk entering interstate commerce. Routine testing and well-established protocols for U.S. dairy are in place to ensure that only safe milk enters the food supply under the federal Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO). The PMO also prohibits milk from sick cows from entering the food supply chain.
NMPF to Host Producer Webinar
Join NMPF and the National Dairy Farm Program for a webinar: Latest Strategies for HPAI Defense and Workforce Safety on Wednesday, April 17 at 3:00 p.m., CT. Register here. The session will feature insights on the rapidly evolving animal health situation, including early signs for detection, updated biosecurity recommendations and contingency planning. Strategies for safeguarding the health and safety of workers handling cows infected with HPAI will also be discussed.
HPAI media coverage and social engagement continues to trend downward this week
We continue to closely track traditional and social media activity. This week, a large percentage of coverage focused on HPAI reaching new farms and/or new states. The vast majority of the conversation is still happening on Twitter/X.
At this time, USDA will not be issuing Federal quarantine orders, nor is APHIS recommending any State regulatory quarantines or official hold orders on cattle. HOWEVER, USDA strongly recommends minimizing movement of cattle as much as possible, with special attention to evaluating risk and factoring that risk into movement decisions.
The USDA, CDC and FDA continue to affirm that pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. The FDA does not currently have concerns about the safety or availability of pasteurized milk products nationwide.
Contact ADAI with questions here.
— American Dairy Association Indiana
