On April 24, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) issued a federal order that requires premovement testing for lactating dairy cattle crossing state lines beginning Monday, April 29, 2024. This was followed by a FAQ document about the order on April 25, 2024.
On April 26, 2024, USDA APHIS released a guidance document titled, "APHIS Requirements and Recommendations for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 Virus in Livestock For State Animal Health Officials, Accredited Veterinarians and Producers."
It is important to note that the federal order officially made positive results for Influenza A PCR or serological testing reportable to USDA APHIS.
The USDA cited risks to both the dairy and poultry industries as reasons for issuing the order. USDA stated, "Researchers have determined that this virus has continued to spread between cows in affected herds and spread between herds as cattle are moved." Additionally, they noted, "the virus first detected in cattle has recently been found in poultry indicating that affected dairy herds may pose a risk to poultry farms.”
The USDA APHIS guidance document defines lactating cows: "The requirements outlined within this guidance apply to the movement of dairy cows currently in one of the lactation phases (i.e., early, mid, and late) of their current production cycle." The guidance also defines nonlactating cattle as "heifers, dry cows, and bull calves."
Additional clarity was added to the question surrounding requirements for cull cows by stating, "Nonclinical lactating dairy cattle moving interstate direct to slaughter are not required to have a premovement test but must move on a certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation of movement approved by the sending and receiving state animal health officials and provided to the sending and receiving state animal health officials."
What do I need to know about sample collection?
- Sample collection and testing must take place no more than seven (7) days prior to interstate movement.
- Samples for interstate premovement testing need to be submitted to an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Laboratory for testing.
- APHIS will reimburse for all interstate premovement testing at NAHLN laboratories; therefore, this testing at NAHLN laboratories will be completed at no cost to the producer/submitter. At this time, USDA APHIS is not reimbursing for sample collection or shipping.
- For groups/lots of 30 or fewer animals moving interstate, all animals being moved must be tested. If more than 30 animals are moving interstate, then only 30 animals total must be tested.
- At this time, samples are to be collected by an accredited veterinarian. State Animal Health Officials (SAHO) in each state will determine if state-licensed veterinarians or other trained sample collectors will be approved for sample collection.
- Milk samples: Samples to be collected include milk/udder secretions from individual cows. Each quarter is sampled and combined into one sample for submission to the laboratory. Submissions must be between 3-10 ml of milk per animal.
- Do not pool samples. If pooled testing is allowed, pooling of samples will be done by the NAHLN lab.
What happens if you have a positive result?
- Lactating dairy cattle from herds that have tested positive for Influenza A are not eligible for interstate movement for thirty (30) days from the most recent collection of any sample that tests positive from any individual animal in the herd. After 30 days, animals must be tested again for movement.
What about cattle moving directly to slaughter?
- Nonclinical lactating dairy cattle moving interstate direct to slaughter are not required to have a premovement test but must move on a certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation of movement approved by the sending and receiving state animal health officials and provided to the sending and receiving state animal health officials.
- Clinical lactating dairy cattle are ineligible for interstate movement or movement to slaughter
Further clarification will be provided in the coming days from both USDA APHIS and State Animal Health Officials to answer questions about scenarios not accounted for in this document.