No cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been reported in Minnesota dairy herds as of this newsletter's publication. The USDA has been tracking cases in other states and posts updates on its website. Although there have been no federal movement restrictions put in place for dairy or cattle in the U.S., the USDA is recommending producers limit interstate cattle movement when possible. Additionally, several states enacted their own movement requirements for cattle regarding the HPAI situation. Producers can visit InterstateLivestock.com to see if there are any movement restrictions for either the origin or destination state.

In Minnesota, we don't have additional restrictions because there are everyday movement measures in place to protect animal health. Cattle imports require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, which means animals are examined by a veterinarian before they’re allowed to be transported and information on dairy cow importations are captured in real-time through our Traceability program.

Dairy herds with detection of HPAI are treated differently than infected poultry flocks because the H5N1 virus affects these species differently. For cattle, mortality due to the virus has not been reported and infected animals are able to recover with supportive care in isolation from healthy animals in the herd. Further research is warranted to determine if HPAI is the sole cause of illness in infected herds or if the virus is acting secondary to other diseases. There is ongoing research regarding transmission among and between species so we can continue to improve our surveillance and control of the disease.

The Board of Animal Health and other state agencies are working closely with dairy producers in Minnesota to keep a lookout for any illness in herds and use strong biosecurity to protect them from disease introductions.