USA- Starting September 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will incorporate H5N1 monitoring into its national surveillance program for dairy cows at slaughter.
This initiative, part of FSIS’s National Residue Program (NRP), aims to enhance food safety by testing dairy cow carcasses for the H5N1 virus, an avian influenza subtype, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.
The monitoring will be seamlessly integrated with the existing residue testing protocols, ensuring no additional processing delays.
In the event of a positive H5N1 result, the USDA will collaborate with industry stakeholders to prevent the affected carcass from entering the food supply. This effort builds on three previous beef safety studies on avian influenza in dairy cattle.
Biosecurity reimbursements for Midwestern dairy farmers
In tandem with these efforts, dairy farmers in the Midwest are being offered financial support to bolster on-farm biosecurity measures in response to the ongoing H5N1 outbreak.
The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) announced on August 13 that farmers can apply for reimbursement grants of up to US$10,000 through the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA).
The DBIA, a partnership between WCMA and the Center for Dairy Research (CDR), has allocated US$100,000 in pilot program funding, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rebekah Sweeney, Senior Director of Programs and Policy at WCMA, emphasised the importance of supporting farmers during this challenging time.
“We understand the pressures farmers face, and we want to help them address the new challenges posed by the H5N1 outbreak in dairy herds,” Sweeney said.
The grants can purchase equipment, supplies, employee training, and biosecurity consulting services, ensuring dairy businesses maintain safety and security for their operations, employees, and animals.
Farmers operating in DBIA’s 11-state service region, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, can apply for these grants. No matching funds are required.
CDC declares H5N1 general public risk moderate
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has assessed the H5N1 virus that infected a dairy worker in Texas, categorising its risk to the general public as low and its potential as a pandemic virus as moderate.
The CDC’s assessment, part of its ongoing use of the Influenza Risk Assessment Tool (IRAT), places the Texas virus on par with other recent strains regarding public health impact and emergence risk.
As the FSIS and CDC continue to monitor and respond to the H5N1 threat, these combined efforts underscore the importance of vigilance in safeguarding public health and supporting the agricultural community in mitigating the risks associated with avian influenza.
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