Virus threatens dairy cows

New rules designed to prevent a viral outbreak among dairy cows will apply to some exhibiting at the Steele County Free Fair.

According to requirements put forth by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, anyone planning to show lactating cows at any exhibition in Minnesota this year will first need to show that their cow is not infected with the H5N1 virus.

Effective June 18, “all lactating (currently producing milk) dairy cows must have both a negative H5N1 test result and Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) to attend any exhibition in Minnesota.” Samples must be taken within seven days of when the cow would arrive at the event, and a negative test would allow an animal to travel within Minnesota for 10 days from the sample collection date.

According to Sandy Jirele, livestock director for the SCFF, over 20 lactating cows are registered with 4-H, although they may not all come to the fair.

To comply with the new requirements, the SCFF has worked to create a set of guidelines surrounding the testing and documentation of lactating cows.

“We’ve gotten some guidelines that the animals must have all of their documentation before they are unloaded,” Jirele said. “That will be a joint effort between myself and the 4-H educators.”

When animals arrive at the fairgrounds, proper documentation will be requested. If the proper documentation is not available, the animal will not be unloaded.

Jirele said that the best date to for animals to be tested is the Thursday before the fair. Testing on that Thursday should allow enough time to get results back for the start of the fair and fulfill the testing requirements for the cow for the duration of the fair.

Even though there will be restrictions on lactating dairy cows, Jirele said that some cows will be present at the SCFF without restrictions.

“There’s still going to be dairy animals (at the fair). The novice calves, the fall calves, the yearlings will all still be there,” she said. “This is only affecting lactating cows.”

The H5N1 outbreak

The H5N1 virus itself is a subtype of influenza A, and according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, is “the same virus that causes highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, a “multistate outbreak” of H5N1 in dairy cows was first reported on March 25, 2024. Then, effective April 29, a federal order from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) required dairy cattle to have a “negative test for Influenza A” prior to interstate movement.

The USDA order said that testing would “be immediately required for lactating dairy cattle, while these requirements for other classes of dairy cattle will be based on scientific factors concerning the virus and its evolving risk profile.”

On May 30, the USDA announced $824 million in funding to “protect livestock health.” According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, the funding will “support anticipated diagnostics, field response activities, pre-movement testing requirements, other necessary surveillance and control activities, surveillance in wildlife, and more.”

The first case of H5N1 in dairy in Minnesota was confirmed on June 6 in a Benton County dairy herd, and the Board’s new testing requirements went into effect on June 18. As of now, the requirement will remain in effect until Dec. 31.

Per the Minnesota Board of Animal Health website, “Minnesota agricultural and animal health officials are monitoring this developing situation and are in contact with industry officials.”