State Department of Agriculture announces testing requirements for lactating dairy cattle entering fairs or exhibitions to prevent transmission of HPAI

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today announced new testing requirements for dairy cattle entering fairs or exhibitions to continue to prevent the transmission of avian influenza highly pathogenic (HPAI) in dairy cattle in New York State. The order issued by the department requires lactating dairy cattle to be tested and negative for HPAI within seven days prior to entry into a fair, including the Great New York State Fair, the county fairs or other exhibitions. The test must be performed by an accredited National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said: “With just weeks until the summer fair season kicks off, we want to remain vigilant about the HPAI concerns in dairy cattle we are seeing across the country and ensure we are doing everything we can to keep our livestock safe and healthy. here in New York. By requiring this testing protocol, which will be covered, we hope to minimize the risk of spreading HPAI while providing the opportunity to continue summer traditions of entering and displaying dairy cattle at fairs and exhibitions.

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said: “The Department of Health supports this latest biomonitoring protocol as we enter the summer fair season in an effort to prevent the spread of avian influenza among dairy cattle in New York State. As a reminder, there are still no known cases of avian influenza in livestock or humans in New York State, and we will continue to work with the Department of Agriculture and Markets to monitor the situation and prepare for any potential risks to public health and safety.”

The Department encourages industry members to follow these steps in addition to the State’s order to ensure the health and safety of animals at New York County Fairs, in addition to the Great Fair. New York State. Animal health requirements for the 2024 county fairs and the New York State Fair are outlined in three documents listed below. These documents currently apply to animals, including poultry, at fairs in 2024.

Additionally, in April, the state issued temporary import requirements for dairy cattle entering New York State and continues to urge farm owners and farm workers to implement good biosecurity measures , in particular by restricting access to the farm to employees and essential personnel; providing all workers with work boots specifically designed for agriculture and not worn anywhere else; prevent livestock from drinking from sources likely to be contaminated by waterfowl; prevent wild birds from accessing food sources and ensure all food spills are cleaned up; and contact your veterinarian if you think your livestock is showing signs of HPAI.

Additional biosecurity recommendations can be found here. Biosecurity involves all measures taken to reduce or eliminate the spread of the virus, including biosurveillance measures which involve monitoring sick animals.

The department’s order aligns with recent recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to minimize influenza transmission during dairy cattle shows. , including a recommendation that lactating animals moving interstate to a show, exhibition, or sale must have a negative test result from samples collected within seven days of movement . Producers and veterinarians are encouraged to continue to visit the USDA APHIS website for the latest information. View the full guidance at aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/guidance-dairy-cattle-livestock-exhibition.pdf.

The USDA also recently announced expanded support for producers to help stop the spread of HPAI in dairy cattle, including for producers where no herds have tested positive. This support gives producers tools they can use to keep their herds and workers healthy and reduce the risk of spreading the virus to other herds. These financial tools include support for biosecurity planning and implementation; reimburse producers for veterinary costs associated with collecting samples for testing and compensate shipping costs for influenza A testing at National Animal Health Laboratory Network laboratories.

Since HPAI was first detected in dairy cattle in March, HPAI has now been detected in dairy cattle and goats in 12 states. No cases have been detected in New York livestock to date. The department has issued a statewide alert to veterinarians, directing them to contact the department if they see signs or symptoms of illness in farm animals.

Clinical signs observed in affected cattle:

• decreased milk production;
• sudden and acute drop in production, with some seriously affected cows receiving thicker, concentrated milk;
• decreased food consumption; abnormal stools; and a mild fever.

Clinical signs observed in affected newborn goats:

If any of these symptoms are noted, veterinarians are asked to call the department at (518) 457-3502 for advice on sampling. USDA APHIS continues to study how the virus is believed to spread and additional information on this can be found here.

According to the USDA and FDA, pasteurized milk and pasteurized dairy products remain safe for consumption because pasteurization kills harmful microbes and pathogens present in milk and there are also no concerns regarding consumption of the products properly cooked meat. Information regarding HPAI and milk safety can be found here.