USDA Issues Bird Flu Testing Mandate for Dairy Cows

USDA is issuing an order that will go into effect April 29 requiring dairy farmers sending lactating cows across state lines to have those cows tested for H5N1 before they can move.

The testing at USDA labs would likely take one to three days, though USDA is looking to develop more rapid tests that can be used in the field, said Mike Watson, administrator for USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Producers with cows that test positive will be required to provide epidemiological information on those cows, including animal movement tracing information, especially if they intend to move the cattle across state lines.

Cows that test positive would remain on their home farms and then be retested in 30 days before they could move across state lines, Watson said. He repeated that the virus is not fatal for cows, and they mostly recover quickly.

So far, USDA has reported 33 dairy herds in eight states have been confirmed as infected by USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories. The latest was another Idaho dairy on April 19.

The testing order does not apply to beef cattle and USDA so far has not found any positive H5N1 infections in beef cattle.

Source: DTN