APHIS expands geographic footprint of National Milk Testing Strategy, with 13 states now required to test raw milk for avian influenza.
December 17, 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6, which requires that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing.
The Dec. 17 announcement represents the next step toward conducting complete nationwide surveillance under the NMTS and continues to build on measures taken by USDA and its federal and state partners since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024, the agency stated.
As of this announcement, the following seven states will be included in the second round of states to be brought into this testing strategy: Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New York, Ohio, Vermont and Washington.
While the new Federal Order is effective immediately and has been in effect since it was announced Dec. 6, USDA said it continues to work directly with states to bring them on board as quickly as possible while also accommodating state specific needs. With this announcement and the initial announcement Dec. 6 combined, the 13 states beginning testing under the NMTS represent a geographically diverse mix of states, some of which have been affected by HPAI H5N1 in dairy cows and some of which have never detected the disease. Additionally, these first two groups of states represent eight of the top 15 dairy producing states in the country, accounting for nearly 50% of U.S. dairy production.
The first six states announced have begun sampling under the guidance of the NMTS and the new Federal Order, and USDA anticipates receiving the first round of sampling during the week of Dec. 16. Results from this testing will be included in the routine testing reports shared by APHIS, and any newly affected herds will be reported on the website showing a map of the existing confirmed cases of HPAI in livestock.
As has been the case since the start of this outbreak in dairy cows, any confirmed detection will be reported to local public health and state animal health officials to coordinate response efforts with our state and federal partners. The seven states announced today will begin testing soon.
The NMTS is designed to increase USDA’s and public health partners’ understanding of how the virus spreads in the U.S. through a structured, uniform and mandatory testing system that will help swiftly identify which states, and specific herds within them, are affected with H5N1, support the rapid implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures to decrease the risk of transmission to other livestock and, importantly, inform critical efforts to protect farmworkers to help lower their risk of exposure.
APHIS has been working diligently to educate and inform key state and animal health partners about this Federal Order and NMTS, as well as to establish written agreements with states to support how they can work with USDA under the new strategy.
APHIS will continue to work diligently to add states testing under the NMTS. Throughout this process APHIS will support and offer resources to states that develop bulk milk testing plans and help each state execute testing that meets their needs and aligns with the guidance of the NMTS. APHIS will continue to work with each of the 48 contiguous states to participate in the strategy until all states are participating and testing under the NMTS.
USDA consistently operates on a science-based, step-by-step approach, informed by what it learns about this virus through its everyday work and research and surveillance efforts. The NMTS marks the next step in escalating that response to meet the needs based on the facts on the ground. This expanded testing effort is just one part of the agency’s broader strategy to contain and ultimately eliminate the virus from the national dairy herd.
USDA continues to stress to farmers nationwide the critical importance of effective biosecurity practices as the best weapon against the spread of disease and has provided clear recommendations for livestock producers. The department strongly recommends that all producers review their current biosecurity measures and ensure best practices identified over the past eight months are incorporated, even if H5N1 has not been detected in their state or region.
USDA encourages all herd owners to participate in the producer support programs that are already available, which help to cover some of the costs associated with biosecurity planning, personal protective equipment for employees and veterinary care.
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