Meanwhile in Minnesota, another dairy herd was stricken by the disease. While it's not fatal in cattle, the quarantines of herds cause producers to lose revenue, and across the country. there have been cases of dairy workers and barn cats catching the disease.
H5N1 influenza has been confirmed in a Stearns County dairy herd from samples collected as part of Minnesota’s milk surveillance plan. The USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the results March 21, and the Board of Animal Health has the herd until they meet testing requirements indicating it’s no longer infected. There is no concern for the safety of the public milk supply, as all milk sold in stores is pasteurized to kill bacteria and viruses, and pasteurization has been shown to effectively eliminate active H5N1 virus present in milk.
“While under quarantine, the herd will be able to apply for movement permits for animals and animal products such as waste milk and manure. Milk sold for pasteurization does not need a permit and is allowed to go to processing to facilitate business while keeping the risk of the spread of disease low,” said State Veterinarian, Dr. Brian Hoefs. “Our surveillance and response approach to H5N1 is a team effort to ensure we’re covering all angles where it’s detected and limiting its ability to spread.”
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is conducting testing of pre-pasteurized, or raw, cow milk samples already collected from each of Minnesota's approximately 1,600 dairy farms on a monthly basis. These routinely collected bulk milk samples, which are taken before the pasteurization process, are subsampled by industry labs and sent for H5N1 testing to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota.
"Identifying which dairy herds are infected is important so we can prevent disease spread and protect both animal and human health," MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen said. "Regular sampling and testing will allow the MDA and partners to identify where the virus is present, monitor trends, and prevent spread of the virus in order to protect unaffected dairy herds and poultry flocks."
The Board is notified of any preliminary detections of the virus in samples and responds by sending a case manager to the affected farm to issue a quarantine and guide the producer through the entire response process. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) also monitors the health of people who have direct contact with infected animals or their environment and provides public health recommendations to help reduce the risk for infection. MDH also provides testing, antivirals, and personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed. The risk to the public from this virus remains low at this time. People who work with or have direct contact with infected animals or their environment are at most risk for getting sick.
Dairy farmers should monitor their herd and contact their veterinarian immediately if cows appear sick. H5N1 symptoms in dairy mostly affect late-stage lactating cows and include fever, a drop in milk production, loss of appetite, and changes in manure consistency. Biosecurity reduces the risk of disease spreading onto or off farms:
Keep a log of farm visitors and ensure they follow your farm protocols.
Milk any sick cows last, after your healthy herd.
Keep feed covered and clean up feed spills immediately.
Provide cows a clean source of water kept secure from wildlife, especially waterfowl.
Dairy farms are always required to dispose of milk from sick animals to remove it from the milk supply. In addition to an affected herd disposing of milk from sick cows and isolating them, the Board quarantine also requires the farm to have three consecutive negative milk tests to be released from quarantine.
Farmers can request a one-time distribution of PPE from MDH if they’re unable to get it through their regular sources. People who have questions about avian influenza and human health can contact MDH at 651-201-5414.
The Board will report any new detections and updates on cow cases in Minnesota on its website. Please note, this herd was previously infected in July 2024 and will not be categorized as a new herd on the website dashboard. Instead, it remains categorized as “Stearns MN 010” and any new information will be posted in that row of data.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced the detection of H5N1 avian influenza in a Stearns County dairy herd as part of Minnesota’s milk surveillance plan. The BAH has quarantined the herd until it meets testing requirements indicating it’s no longer infected.
In response, Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL – South St. Paul), the DFL co-chair of the House Agriculture Finance & Policy Committee, is calling for added safeguards to address H5N1, including the testing of retail milk, voluntary testing for poultry and dairy workers, as well as monitoring of the wastewater supply for the virus.
“The potential disaster of a bigger avian flu outbreak in Minnesota calls for a ‘trust but verify’ approach. While the BAH points out that pasteurized milk kills bacteria and viruses, further testing and monitoring is necessary to protect the public, not to mention the people who work with potentially affected poultry flocks and dairy herds,” Rep. Hansen said. “The unpredictability of federal funding to monitor and address threats like avian flu poses a significant challenge, but Minnesotans deserve additional proactive steps to protect workers and assure trust in our food supply.”
Wastewater monitoring was highly effective in tracking the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tool could now be used to provide valuable data on the presence and spread of H5N1 to guide response efforts.
Farmers are able to request PPE through the Minnesota Department of Health. BAH will continue to provide updates on its website.
I’m calling for added safeguards for poultry and dairy workers, retail milk testing, and wastewater monitoring to address H5N1 avian influenza after the Board of Animal Health detected bird flu in a Stearns County dairy herd yesterday.
The potential disaster of a bigger avian flu outbreak in Minnesota calls for a ‘trust but verify’ approach. While the BAH points out that pasteurized milk kills bacteria and viruses, further testing and monitoring is necessary to protect the public, not to mention the people who work with potentially affected poultry flocks and dairy herds
The unpredictability of federal funding to monitor and address threats like avian flu poses a significant challenge, but Minnesotans deserve additional proactive steps to protect workers and assure trust in our food supply. You can read my full press release here.
This week in the Agriculture Committee, I will be chairing a hearing on DFL-led legislation to better address avian influenza and how we must act proactively to protect workers, consumers, and all Minnesotans.
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