State Department of Agriculture Announces Temporary Import Requirements for Dairy Cattle Coming Into New York

Following Cases of HPAI in Livestock in Other States, New York State Bars Entry of Animals From Impacted Farms and Strengthens Import Procedures for all Affected States

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today announced new temporary import requirements for dairy cattle coming into New York, following detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle and goats in several other states. No cases have been detected in New York livestock to date. Pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume as pasteurization kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk, including the influenza virus, and there is also no concern regarding the consumption of properly cooked meat products.

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “While we have not seen any cases of HPAI in livestock here in New York State, we’re monitoring the situation closely and are in communication with our farmers, veterinarians, and partners at USDA and in other states. The temporary import requirements we’ve put into place will help us to ensure that animals coming into New York are healthy and are not from affected premises, so that our animals here in New York can continue to remain safe. We encourage our farmers to continue practicing good biosecurity and to stay in touch with us and their veterinarians as the situation evolves.”

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Preparing ahead of a potential health risk such as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is how the Department of Health protects, improves and promotes the health, productivity and wellbeing of all New Yorkers. While pasteurized milk and dairy products remain safe to consume because of stringent oversight protocols, the Department supports the temporary import requirements for dairy cattle brought into the State, to safeguard the health and safety of all New Yorkers.”

The temporary import requirements for dairy cattle into New York State are:

• importation of dairy cattle from a premises with a confirmed case of HPAI or a premises under investigation as a suspect premises is prohibited;
• dairy cattle imported from affected states must be accompanied by a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) issued within 10 days prior to entry into the state; and
• CVIs issued for dairy cattle from affected states must include the statement: “All animals identified on the Certificate of Veterinary (CVI) have been examined and do not originate from a premises with a confirmed detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or that is currently under investigation as a suspect premises.”

These requirements will remain in place until further notice.

HPAI was confirmed in dairy cattle in Texas in late March, and has since spread to Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio, North Carolina, and South Dakota, and was also diagnosed in young goats in Minnesota on a premises with HPAI-infected poultry. A map of states that have detected HPAI in livestock can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/livestock.

While there have been no detections of HPAI in dairy cattle or goats in New York, the Department issued a statewide alert to veterinarians urging them to contact the Department if they see any signs or symptoms of illness in farm animals. Based on the confirmed cases so far, symptoms that veterinarians and farm owners should be on the lookout for include:

Clinical signs seen in affected cattle:

• decreased milk production;
• acute sudden drop in production with some severely impacted cows experiencing thicker, concentrated milk;
• decrease in feed consumption; abnormal feces; and low-grade fever.

Clinical signs seen in affected newborn goats:

• Unusual deaths

If any of these symptoms are noted, veterinarians are urged to call the Department at (518) 457-3502 for sampling guidance.

In addition to monitoring for animal health, the Department is urging farm owners and farm workers to practice good biosecurity measures, which include the following:

• Restrict on-farm access to employees and essential personnel;
• Provide farm-dedicated work boots for all workers that are not worn anywhere else;
• Prevent cattle from drinking from sources that may be contaminated by waterfowl;
• Prevent wild birds from accessing feed sources and make sure all feed spills are cleaned up; and
• Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your cattle are showing signs of HPAI.