State Department of Agriculture Updates Industry on Response to O...

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today updated the agricultural industry on the nationwide response to detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle and goats in several other states. The United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Federal Order, along with answers to frequently asked questions and additional guidance documents, mandating testing for the interstate movement of dairy cattle and reporting of positive detections. Producers and veterinarians are encouraged to visit the USDA APHIS website for the latest information. No cases have been detected in New York livestock to date. According to USDA and the FDA, pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume as pasteurization kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk and there is also no concern regarding the consumption of properly cooked meat products.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, "We're working hard with our partners at USDA APHIS and across the state to make sure that we are responding quickly and decisively to these cases of HPAI in livestock in other states. While we have no cases to date in livestock in New York, this is certainly a concern for our farmers, and we encourage them to stay up-to-date, follow the Federal Order issued by USDA as well as our state order, and stay in close contact with their veterinarian and practice good biosecurity on site."

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "There are no known cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in humans in New York State and the Department of Health has been actively engaged with state and federal partners regarding this issue. We will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Agriculture and Markets and federal agencies to monitor the situation and prepare for any potential risks to public health and safety."

The Federal Order requires the following measures, effective Monday, April 29, 2024.

Mandatory Testing for Interstate Movement of Dairy Cattle

• Prior to interstate movement, dairy cattle are required to receive a negative test for Influenza A virus at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory.
• Owners of herds in which dairy cattle test positive for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracing.
• Dairy cattle moving interstate must adhere to conditions specified by APHIS.
• As will be described in forthcoming guidance, these steps will be immediately required for lactating dairy cattle, while these requirements for other classes of dairy cattle will be based on scientific factors concerning the virus and its evolving risk profile.

Mandatory Reporting

• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A nucleic acid detection diagnostic results (e.g., PCR or genetic sequencing) in livestock to USDA APHIS.
• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A serology diagnostic results in livestock to USDA APHIS.

Learn more at aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock.

This week, the State issued new temporary import requirements for dairy cattle coming into New York. These requirements remain in place until further notice and should be followed in addition to the federal order. The temporary import requirements for dairy cattle into New York State are:

• importation of dairy cattle from a premises with a confirmed case of HPAI or a premises under investigation as a suspect premises is prohibited;
• dairy cattle imported from affected states must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 10 days prior to entry into the state; and
• CVIs issued for dairy cattle from affected states must include the statement: "All animals identified on the Certificate of Veterinary (CVI) have been examined and do not originate from a premises with a confirmed detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or that is currently under investigation as a suspect premises."

HPAI was confirmed in dairy cattle in Texas in late March, and has since spread to Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Dakota, and was also diagnosed in young goats in Minnesota on a premises with HPAI-infected poultry. A map of states that have detected HPAI in livestock can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock.

While there have been no detections of HPAI in dairy cattle or goats in New York, the Department issued a statewide alert to veterinarians urging them to contact the Department if they see any signs or symptoms of illness in farm animals.

Based on the confirmed cases so far, symptoms that veterinarians and farm owners should be on the lookout for include:

Clinical signs seen in affected cattle:

• decreased milk production;
• acute sudden drop in production with some severely impacted cows experiencing thicker, concentrated milk;
• decrease in feed consumption; abnormal feces; and low-grade fever.

Clinical signs seen in affected newborn goats:

• Unusual deaths

If any of these symptoms are noted, veterinarians are urged to call the Department at (518) 457-3502 for sampling guidance.

In addition to monitoring for animal health, the Department is urging farm owners and farm workers to practice good biosecurity measures, which include the following:

• Restrict on-farm access to employees and essential personnel;
• Provide farm-dedicated work boots for all workers that are not worn anywhere else;
• Prevent cattle from drinking from sources that may be contaminated by waterfowl;
• Prevent wild birds from accessing feed sources and make sure all feed spills are cleaned up; and
• Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your cattle are showing signs of HPAI.

Additional biosecurity recommendations can be found here and information regarding HPAI and milk safety can be found here.