Follow-up: Industry stakeholders

Thank you for joining us for the stakeholder call related to HPAI in dairy cattle. As mentioned in the call, the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has now confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy herds in Michigan (1), Texas (7), Kansas (2), New Mexico (1), and Idaho (1).

The has also CDC reported that a person in Texas tested positive for HPAI A (H5N1) virus. The CDC shared in its announcement that this infection does not change the human health risk assessment for the general public, which CDC considers to be low. Per USDA, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or consumer health as products are pasteurized prior to entering the market. Pasteurization has been proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection. Interim recommendations from CDC for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations can be found here: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Animals: Interim Recommendations for Prevention, Monitoring, and Public Health Investigations | Avian Influenza (Flu) (cdc.gov).

DATCP encourages producers to practice good biosecurity, including minimizing animal movements and isolating new additions to the herd. Further information on biosecurity practices can be found on the DATCP Home Basic Biosecurity (wi.gov) and SecureMilkSupply.org.

Current import rules for cattle can be found on the DATCP: Cattle & Bison Movement webpage. It is important to check requirements prior to importing animals from any state, as requirements can change. Requirements such as official identification and certificates of veterinary inspection (CVIs) help ensure all cattle entering Wisconsin are healthy prior to import.

DATCP encourages producers that notice unusual clinical signs in their cattle to work with their herd veterinarian. To report herds with unexplained symptoms, veterinarians should contact DATCP at (608) 224-4872 (business hours) or (800) 943-0003 (after hours and weekends).

If you are interested in receiving updates from DATCP related to this topic, please sign up for the list titled “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Cattle” here: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (govdelivery.com)

Resources:

• 2022–2024 Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (usda.gov)
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Detections in Livestock | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (usda.gov)
• Questions and Answers Regarding Milk Safety During Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Outbreaks | FDA
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the U.S. | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus in Animals: Interim Recommendations for Prevention, Monitoring, and Public Health Investigations | Avian Influenza (Flu) (cdc.gov)
• DATCP Home Cattle and Bison Movement (wi.gov)
• DATCP Home Basic Biosecurity (wi.gov)
• Secure Milk Supply Plan
• Sign up for Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection HPAI Updates (govdelivery.com)