In the news this past week:

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Karen Lee
Managing Editor / Progressive Dairy

HPAI confirmed in three California dairy herds

California became the 14th state to detect highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cows.

On Aug. 30, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) confirmed a diagnosis of HPAI from samples taken at three dairies located in California’s Central Valley.

“We have been preparing for this possibility since earlier this year when HPAI detections were confirmed at dairy farms in other states,” said California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Secretary Karen Ross.

Since March, 197 cases of HPAI have been confirmed in dairy cows in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming and now California.

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The number of new cases detected in dairy herds across the country slowed through the second half of summer. Only three other states had confirmed cases in the last 30 days. Idaho and Michigan each recorded one confirmed case. However, in Colorado, where weekly bulk tank testing is mandatory statewide for licensed herds, 12 cases have been confirmed in the past month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this influenza virus is not considered a significant public health threat and the risk to humans is considered low.

Milk from sick cows is not permitted for sale and pasteurization of milk has been shown to be effective at inactivating the virus.

The affected dairies have been placed under quarantine on the authority of CDFA’s State Veterinarian. The farms have enhanced biosecurity measures in place. Sick cows were isolated and are being treated, while healthy cows have been cleared to continue shipping milk for pasteurization.

No human cases of HPAI have been confirmed in California related to this incident.

Dairy workers who come into close contact with infected dairy cows are at risk of contracting HPAI.

The CDC has confirmed four human cases of HPAI in dairy workers in other states since April 2024: one each in Texas and Colorado, and two in Michigan.

The CDFA is working with public health officials and dairy owners to inform and monitor workers at affected dairies in California and to assist the dairies with education and resources to protect their workers, including providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, caps, face shields and safety goggles.

The USDA has implemented or expanded a number of programs to support affected dairies. These include the Dairy Herd Status Program and financial assistance for the heat treatment and disposal of milk, veterinary costs, PPE, milk loss offset, biosecurity planning and implementation, and shipping cost offset for H5N1 testing.

Field trials may begin for H5N1 vaccines for dairy cows

At a farm show in Iowa last week, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced USDA approval to begin field trials for testing a HPAI (H5N1) vaccine in dairy cows.

USDA’s Center of Veterinary Biologics (CVB) oversees vaccine development. Previously, all H5N1 vaccine studies, even those not involving virus challenge, were to be conducted in a containment facility.

A notice on Aug. 28 stated the CVB is accepting field trial applications for H5N1 vaccines that may be conducted outside of containment without terminal disposal of milk and other commodities.

USDA requests public input on implementation of SUSTAINS Act

The USDA is asking for public input on how best to implement the Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions (SUSTAINS) Act, which authorizes the USDA to accept private contributions to channel through several existing USDA conservation programs. The public should submit comments to the request for information via the Federal Register by Sept. 16.

“Agriculture is at the forefront of the nation’s effort to conserve our natural resources, and we want to hear from people on the ground how to implement this legislation to maximize its benefits, promote equity and assist all producers,” said USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby.

The SUSTAINS Act, signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, provides the USDA with the authority to accept contributions of private funds that can be channeled through its existing conservation programs and provides additional guidelines for those contributions. Specifically, the SUSTAINS Act provides an opportunity for the private sector to partner with the USDA to engage farmers, ranchers and forest landowners in supporting conservation initiatives, including to expand implementation of conservation practices to sequester carbon, improve wildlife habitat, protect sources of drinking water and address other natural resource priorities.

The NRCS is asking for public input and recommendations to determine how the agency can utilize private funds to target specific natural resource concerns associated with agricultural production. The NRCS is interested in supporting program implementation and improving program delivery, including by effectively leveraging additional funds to increase outreach and expand access to financial and technical assistance for underserved producers. The NRCS will use the input to determine the next steps to implement this legislation, which could include a proposed rule.

Anyone with questions can contact the NRCS. Please specify the docket ID: NRCS-2024-0014 in the subject line.

Entries accepted for checkoff’s new product competition

The Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) New Product Competition for college students is accepting entries for 2025. The competition seeks innovative dairy product concepts and is open to undergraduate and graduate students in the U.S.

This year’s contest theme aligns with checkoff-led insights that show consumers are seeking dairy products that deliver health-related benefits. Successful entries will meet competition criteria, demonstrate innovation and provide consumer value in one or more of these areas:

  • Heart health
  • Metabolic health
  • Weight management

A combined $27,000 in cash prizes will be awarded:

  • Platinum Dairy Innovator Award – $10,000 (first place)
  • Gold Dairy Innovator Award – $7,000 (second place)
  • Silver Dairy Innovator Award – $4,000 (third place)
  • Dairy Innovator Award – $2,000 each for remaining three teams to reach the top six and successfully complete phase two of the competition.

The deadline entry is Jan. 13, and winning teams will be recognized at the American Dairy Science Association’s annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, June 22-25, 2025.

More information is available online or by contacting Dr. Rohit Kapoor, vice president of product research for DMI.