HPAI (H5N1 / Avian Influenza) & Bio-Security Updates
Resources, Guidance, and News
March 14, 2025: Investigation of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus in Dairy Cattle | FDA ("Interim Results from FDA 60-Day Aged Raw Milk Cheese Research, Don't Detect H5N1 in Samples Collected to Date")
Cornell Research Pre-Print: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.13.643009v1
National Milk Producers Federation: Early Detection of HPAI H5N1 Virus in Bulk Tank Milk (PDF)
This 2-page document puts bulk tank testing into simplified, easy-to-understand terms. When farms are testing their bulk tanks weekly, early detection is possible before dairy cattle show signs or symptoms of HPAI. (Click here for a Spanish translation handout.)
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has funding that covers taking these samples (including the shipping and testing) -- there is no cost for any cheesemaker if you and/or the farm that is your milk source want to do this testing. The recommendation is to test weekly.
To voluntarily enroll in testing or to get additional information, please contact E.B. Flory at e.b.flory@vermont.gov. (If you are not in charge of the milk source, a joint email will suffice or a letter just so that the Agency of Agriculture can document approval from both parties.)
Updated USDA Dairy Farm Biosecurity Guidelines as of December 2025 (PDF)
Please specially note this section: Monitor and prevent wildlife from interacting with livestock and livestock feed and equipment, which advises to never use untreated surface water as a source for drinking or barn misters or to wash dry lots/paddocks, flush alleys, or clean equipment that contacts cattle.
New Strain of Avian Flu Impacting Dairy Cattle (as of Jan 31, 2025):
- Official USDA Announcement: APHIS Confirms D1.1 Genotype in Dairy Cattle in Nevada | Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- PBS.org: A Difference Version of Bird Flu Detected in Dairy Cows in Nevada (one of the better explanatory articles we've seen posted thus far)