Colorado, epicenter of bird flu in the US, becomes first state to mandate testing for H5N1 at dairy farms – Denver 7 Colorado News

DENVER Recognizing that Colorado has not be able to control the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza among dairy cattle for nearly three months, state agriculture officials on Tuesday announced they would be mandating weekly testing of milk samples for bird flu at all commercial dairy farms in Colorado, effective immediately, in order to curb further spread of H5N1 in the state.

The move by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) is the first-of-its-kind in the nation since the unprecedented outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was first detected in U.S. dairy cattle on March 25, followed by Colorado, which detected its first outbreak a month later.

Citing difficulties in navigating a challenging, novel outbreak of HPAI in dairy operations, state veterinarian Dr. Maggie Baldwin said Tuesday the order which went into effect Monday is aimed at protecting the dairy and poultry industries as well as public health in Colorado.

Can't view the document below? Click here to read the order from the CDA.

We have seen devastating impacts of this disease not only to our dairy industry, but our poultry industry as well, Baldwin said in a statement, adding the mandate was the best next step in order to protect these vital industries in our state.

Colorado is leading the nation in both the number of bird flu outbreaks among dairy cattle as well as the number of infected workers who have tested positive for H5N1 after coming into contact with infected animals.

As of Tuesday, Colorado had reported 49 bird flu outbreaks among dairy cattle, with more than half of those identified over the past 30 days, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That means infections have been reported in 47% of Colorados herds since late April.

USDA

The weekly surveillance for H5N1 in bulk-tank milk samples will take place under the joint supervision of the CDA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), with support from USDA and will be in effect until further notice, a CDA spokesperson said in a news release, adding that dairy producers will receive further guidance directly so they can meet the testing requirements as set by the order.

Dairies currently under quarantine due to bird flu outbreaks or under orders for testing will be subject to those specific orders, the spokesperson said. The order does not include raw milk facilities.

Any dairy producer who does not comply with the order could face criminal charges, according to the document.

The latest effort by the state comes as the CDA simultaneously tries to prevent further spread of the virus in poultry, the species most affected by H5N1.

Spillover events from the strain of H5N1 that has been spreading among dairy cattle have been reported at two commercial poultry facilities in Weld County and the CDA is investigating a potential third spillover event from a dairy operation into a poultry farm.

Those spillover events have forced the state to kill more than 3.2 million domestic chickens during the month of July, the CDA spokesperson said.

The bird flu outbreaks at Colorado dairy farms account for nearly a third of all outbreaks in the U.S., per the USDA's tally, which shows 169 dairy herds have been infected across 13 states as of Tuesday.

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Colorado, epicenter of bird flu in the US, becomes first state to mandate testing for H5N1 at dairy farms - Denver 7 Colorado News