WASHINGTON, April 24, 2024\u00a0\u2013\u00a0To further protect the U.S. livestock industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, USDA is sharing a number of actions that we are taking with our federal partners to help us get ahead of this disease and limit its spread.<\/p>\n
Today, USDA\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a Federal Order requiring the following measures, effective Monday, April 29, 2024:<\/p>\n
Mandatory Testing for Interstate Movement of Dairy Cattle<\/strong><\/p>\n Mandatory Reporting<\/strong><\/p>\n USDA has identified spread between cows within the same herd, spread from cows to poultry, spread between dairies associated with cattle movements, and cows without clinical signs that have tested positive. On April 16, APHIS microbiologists identified a shift in an H5N1 sample from a cow in Kansas that could indicate that the virus has an adaptation to mammals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted further analysis of the specimen sequence, which did not change their overall risk assessment for the general public, because the substitution has been seen previously in other mammalian infections and does not impact viral transmission. Additionally, APHIS\u2019 National Veterinary Services Laboratories found H5N1 in a lung tissue sample from an asymptomatic cull dairy cow that originated from an affected herd and did not enter the food supply.<\/p>\n The novel movement of H5N1 between wild birds and dairy cows requires further testing and time to develop a critical understanding to support any future courses of action. This Federal Order is critical to increasing the information available for USDA. Requiring positive test reporting will help USDA better under this disease and testing before interstate movement will limit its spread.<\/p>\n While we are taking this action today, it is important to remember that thus far, we have not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans and between people. While cases among humans in direct contact with infected animals are possible, our partners at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that the current risk to the public remains low.<\/p>\n Additionally, we continue to see affected cows recover after supported care with little to no associated mortality. We also continue to work with our partners in the states and industry to emphasize the\u00a0critical importance biosecurity plays<\/a>\u00a0in limiting disease spread for all livestock and poultry.<\/p>\n The Federal Order may be viewed\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and is effective on Monday, April 29, 2024.<\/p>\n Further, in an effort to maximize understanding and research on H5N1 in dairy cattle, on April 21,\u00a0APHIS made publicly available<\/a>\u00a0239 genetic sequences from the U.S. H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b influenza virus recently found in samples associated with the ongoing HPAI outbreak in poultry and wild birds, and the recent H5N1 event in dairy cattle. APHIS has also offered virus\u202fsamples to interested researchers to facilitate epidemiological study. Increasing our understanding of this disease and how it spreads is critical to stopping it. This is why APHIS is urging dairy cattle producers and those who work in or with the industry to share epidemiological information from affected farms, even if they are not planning to move cattle interstate. APHIS further urges producer participation in public health assessments to continue to confirm worker safety and monitor for any potential changes in the virus that could impact transmissibility.<\/p>\n\n
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