By Jamie Martin
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the inclusion of 15 more states in its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS). With these additions, the program now spans 28 states and covers 65% of the country’s milk production.
Launched on December 6, the NMTS initially included six states. By December 17, seven more states joined. The latest additions, including Arizona, Georgia, and Minnesota, aim to bolster disease monitoring and control, especially for H5N1 outbreaks in dairy cattle.
Currently, only Texas and California report active H5N1 detections in dairy herds. The USDA noted that early NMTS results found no new detections elsewhere, ensuring continued transparency. “Any detections found in the NMTS will be reported on its H5N1 webpage,” the agency assured.
The USDA also updated vaccine developments. While poultry vaccines face challenges due to mismatches with the current strain, preparations are underway for a stockpile. For cattle, seven vaccines are approved for field trials, offering potential disease control options.
The USDA confirmed recent poultry outbreaks, including a large egg-laying farm in North Carolina and small backyard flocks in states like Florida and Minnesota.
Photo Credit: usda
Categories: National