The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has announced new temporary import requirements for dairy cattle coming into New York, following detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle and goats in several other states. No cases have been detected in New York livestock to date, and the USDA continues to confirm that there is no threat to human health. Pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume as pasteurization kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk, including the influenza virus, and there is also no concern regarding the consumption of properly cooked meat products.
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.”
These requirements will remain in place until further notice.
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.
Impacted animals were primarily older cows in mid-lactation, while dry cows, heifers and young stock did not appear to be affected.
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.
Mandatory Testing for Interstate Movement of Dairy Cattle
To further protect the U.S. livestock industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced a Federal Order requiring the following measures, effective Monday, April 29, 2024.
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.
NY Food for NY Families: Socially Disadvantaged Producer Database
Dutchess Outreach is creating this database in conjunction with NYS Ag & Markets’ “New York Food for New York Families” grant program. The NYFNYF grant’s primary purpose is to allocate money to emergency food access organizations so that they may purchase food from traditionally socially disadvantaged farmers and producers (This includes but is not limited to BIPOC, LGBTQIA, women, immigrant, and disabled farmers) in New York state in order to distribute it at no cost to people experiencing food insecurity. This statewide database will help to facilitate deeper connections between food access organizations and local farms by supporting these farms financially through increased market opportunities and providing more local food for people in need.
To be a part of this database, please fill out this form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdop5OgBt0vAtkYBjwEQ4gnhENkvebb_yMkEl8RLeef3bQJ6Q/viewform
If you have any questions, contact andie@dutchessoutreach.org
Applications Now Open for Dairy Runway
Free entrepreneurship training for early-stage dairy innovators
The Dairy Runway Program welcomes food entrepreneurs and dairy innovators with early-stage ideas for value-added dairy products to participate in a free Cornell University-hosted entrepreneurship course focused on initial product concept and customer discovery. In addition to virtual classes, the program includes prototyping training and business coaching.
Up to 10 teams will be selected for the cohort to participate in a multi-week virtual course that combines synchronous classes, self-directed online learning, and one-on-one instructor check-ins. Throughout the course, industry experts and food entrepreneurs will discuss product branding, consumer trends, and the challenges of bringing novel products to market.
Participants who successfully complete the course will advance to the program’s Kitchen Incubator stage to work one-on-one with a Cornell Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and to test their product’s formulation with food technicians and dairy specialists.
Curious if your dairy idea is a fit for this program? Attend a virtual information session to learn more. Upcoming information sessions:
Thursday, May 23, 10-11 a.m. ET
Wednesday, May 29, 4-5 p.m. ET
Applications are now open and will be accepted until 5pm on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. Apply now.
Questions can be directed to dairyinnovation@cornell.edu.
