USDA's steps against H5N1 avian influenza in livestock
The USDA is sharing a number of actions to combat HPAI in dairy herds:
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. Mandatory Reporting
• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A nucleic acid detection diagnostic results in livestock to USDA APHIS.
• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A serology diagnostic results in livestock to USDA APHIS.
The 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. Additionally, the USDA reports that most affected cows recover after supported care with little to no associated mortality.
The US Department of Agriculture does not destroy sick cows but destroys milk from sick herds. The different approach of the Ministry of Agriculture in the case of a sick/infected dairy herd and a sick/infected poultry flock with HPAI is not understandable. An infected focus poses a risk of spread whether it is poultry or cattle. There is no scientific basis for this discriminatory policy. Is there a fear of a public reaction to the destruction of thousands of cattle, or is the agricultural lobby of the cattle people in the USA stronger? The answer is not clear; what is clear is that there is no professional basis here!"
