U.S. Department of Agriculture Shares Enrollment of Six Additional States in Its National Milk Testing Strategy for H5N1

USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy Now Accounts for Two-Thirds of the Nation’s Dairy Herds

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced an additional six states are enrolling in the National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS). This brings the total number of states testing under NMTS guidelines to 36 since the first round of states joined in early December.

With the enrollment of six additional states, the NMTS will account for bulk milk tank samples from two-thirds of the nation’s dairy herds, or nearly three-quarters of the nation’s milk production. This data will further enhance understanding of H5N1 presence among dairy herds for USDA and its federal partners. The six states enrolling in the strategy today include: Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and West Virginia. This brings USDA closer to conducting mandatory, nationwide bulk milk surveillance in all 48 contiguous states.

USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy involves five stages that describe a state’s testing activity and the presence of H5N1 in that state. Of the 36 states enrolled as of today, 17 states are considered to be in Stage 2, meaning they have state-level bulk tank sampling programs already underway. California, Michigan, and Nevada are considered to be in Stage 3, meaning that they are affected states that have rapid response measures in place to address detections. Sixteen states are in Stage 1, meaning that silo testing is underway or is set to begin imminently. Mississippi has moved to Stage 4, which means all dairy herds in the state are considered to be unaffected. Mississippi will continue sampling to demonstrate absence of the virus.

USDA continues to work directly with states to bring them on board as quickly as possible while also accommodating state-specific needs based on their infrastructure, state personnel availability, and other considerations.

Any newly affected herds identified through the NMTS will be added to USDA’s livestock detections map. APHIS will continue to update new states as enrolled and state stage status every Friday on its National Milk Testing Strategy page. HPAI detections that result from the NMTS will be included in the routine reports shared by APHIS. Since the beginning of the outbreak in March 2024, over 112,000 samples have been tested through USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), ranging from milk tests that represent multiple herds to individual tests from wild or domestic animals. This testing continues to be provided at no cost to producers.

As part of the National Milk Testing Strategy’s sampling of milk silos and bulk tank milk, APHIS has not detected any affected herds in new states without previous confirmed detections. Testing conducted by participating states in the National Milk Testing Strategy provides a high level of confidence that an affected herd would be identified. For example, Michigan, a state that has effectively managed positive herds, was able to detect a previously unknown infected herd through their NMTS efforts and bulk tank testing program. This is a strong indicator that the strategy is working as expected, is performing effective surveillance of HPAI in the national dairy herd, and it underscores the need for continued monitoring and surveillance efforts at the bulk tank level.

USDA continues to strongly encourage herd owners to implement rigorous biosecurity practices and to participate in USDA’s available producer support programs, which help to cover costs such as biosecurity programming, PPE for employees, and veterinary care. Producers can find more information at Financial Assistance | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or at here Enhance Biosecurity | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or your nearest USDA Farm Service Agency county office.