Latest news with #ThomPetersen
CBS News
24-03-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Bird flu detected in Stearns County dairy herd, Minnesota officials say
H5N1, also known as bird flu, has been found in a Stearns County dairy herd, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). Authorities say the virus was detected in samples collected as part of the state's milk surveillance plan, which launched last month . The Board of Animal Health has quarantined the Stearns County herd until they meet testing requirements showing it's no longer infected. "Our surveillance and response approach to H5N1 is a team effort to ensure we're covering all angles where it's detected and limiting its ability to spread," said state veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs. MDA says there is no concern for the safety of the public milk supply. All milk sold in stores is pasteurized to kill bacteria and viruses. Dairy farms are also required to dispose of milk from sick animals to remove it from the milk supply. H5N1 testing is done on pre-pasteurized, or raw, cow milk collected from each of Minnesota's approximately 1,600 dairy farms monthly. "Identifying which dairy herds are infected is important so we can prevent disease spread and protect both animal and human health," said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) also monitors the health of people who have direct contact with infected animals or their environment. MDH provides public health recommendations to help reduce the risk for infection, testing, antivirals and personal protective equipment, if needed. MDA says dairy farmers should monitor their herd and contact their veterinarian immediately if cows appear sick. This is the first time bird flu has been detected since the milk surveillance program began. This is also the first time H5N1 was detected in a dairy herd since June 2024 . State officials say the risk to the public from bird flu currently remains low.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bird flu confirmed in Stearns County dairy herd, state officials announce
State officials have confirmed that H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu, has been detected in a Stearns County dairy herd. The discovery marks the first detection of bird flu in a dairy herd since last summer, and the first since Minnesota launched a program to test raw cow milk for bird flu last month, amid nationwide concerns of the virus jumping from poultry flocks to cows. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health says the 620-cow herd will be quarantined until they meet requirements proving they are no longer infected. "There is no concern for the safety of the public milk supply, as all milk sold in stores is pasteurized to kill bacteria and viruses, and pasteurization has been shown to effectively eliminate active H5N1 virus present in milk," it said. "While under quarantine, the herd will be able to apply for movement permits for animals and animal products such as waste milk and manure. Milk sold for pasteurization does not need a permit and is allowed to go to processing to facilitate business while keeping the risk of the spread of disease low," said State Veterinarian, Dr. Brian Hoefs. "Our surveillance and response approach to H5N1 is a team effort to ensure we're covering all angles where it's detected and limiting its ability to spread." The state is now testing raw milk samples from Minnesota's 1,600 dairy farms on a monthly basis to detect bird flu. Symptoms of bird flu in cows include fever, a drop in milk production, loss of appetite, and changes in manure consistency. Dairy farms are already required to dispose of milk from sick animals to remove it from the supply. The bird flu quarantine will require the farm to have three consecutive negative milk tests. "Identifying which dairy herds are infected is important so we can prevent disease spread and protect both animal and human health," said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen in a Monday press release. "Regular sampling and testing will allow the MDA and partners to identify where the virus is present, monitor trends, and prevent spread of the virus in order to protect unaffected dairy herds and poultry flocks."
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Animal disease outbreaks bring on emergency declaration in Minnesota
Feb. 20—The impact of three animal disesases in Minnesota is being felt and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Rural Finance Authority Board is responding with interest-free loans. The RFA has declared an emergency for avian Metapneumovirus, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and the H5N1 flu virus. This makes zero-interest Disaster Recovery Loans available for Minnesota farmers whose operations have sustained livestock losses due to the diseases from Feb. 12, 2025, to Feb. 12, 2026, according to a Minnesota Department of Agriculture news release on Friday, Feb. 14. "The RFA Board's declaration is an important step in helping Minnesota farmers affected by these three animal health diseases," said Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen in the release. "I encourage those who have faced livestock losses to explore these zero-interest loans." Avian Metapneumovirus is a highly infectious respiratory disease affecting poultry. It causes significant immunosuppression in birds which leads to secondary infections and often high mortality. Minnesota has reported 871 aMPV-positive tests since April 2024, which is likely an undercount of actual cases across the state. The disease is a burden to producers who lose birds and have no means of financial support like they do with HPAI and other diseases. HPAI is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild birds and is fatal. It's a major threat to the poultry industry, animal health, trade, and the economy worldwide. The first cases of the current HPAI outbreak in Minnesota were confirmed in March 2022. Since then, there have been 185 cases affecting 9.1 million Minnesota domestic birds, mostly turkeys. There have been four HPAI cases reported in 2025. H5N1, the same virus that causes HPAI in poultry, can also affect dairy cows and other animals; however, it rarely kills cows. The H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle appeared in a Texas dairy in March 2024. The first Minnesota case appeared in June 2024. No cases have been reported in 2025. The Disaster Recovery Loan Program offers affordable financing to support Minnesota farmers after declared disasters or hardship events, such as animal disease outbreaks. These funds are available to farmers for expenses not covered by insurance, including replacement of flocks or livestock, building improvements, or to cover the loss of revenue when the replacement, improvements, or revenue loss is due to the confirmed presence of one of the three animal diseases. Eligible farmers will work with their local lender to secure the loans from the RFA. More information, including full eligibility requirements, can be found on the Disaster Recovery Loan Program webpage at
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Minnesota to start testing raw cow milk for bird flu
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has announced it will begin testing raw cow's milk from Minnesota's dairy herds for the H5N1 avian flu virus. The effort will start next week, with the MDA saying the testing will identify where the virus is present and help prevent its spread to uninfected dairy herds and poultry flocks. As of Thursday, 17 states have confirmed bird flu cases in dairy cows, with Minnesota registering its first outbreak last June when nine cows were infected. More than 100 million chickens have been euthanized nationwide to prevent the virus' spread. MDA says that there's no concern for the safety of the public milk supply, as pasteurization has been shown to eliminate active H5N1 present in milk. But it comes amid a trend of people consuming raw milk, as well as raw milk cheeses and undercooked meat from potentially infected animals. The department will order testing of raw milk samples from each of Minnesota's 1,600 dairy farms on a monthly basis. "These routinely collected bulk milk samples, which are taken before the pasteurization process, will be sub-sampled by industry labs and sent for H5N1 testing to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (MVDL) at the University of Minnesota," the MDA says. Any farm with confirmed H5N1 will be quarantined for at least 30 days and will remain so until they have "three consecutive negative bulk milk tank tests taken at least seven days apart, and complete management and biosecurity plans for preventing the spread of the virus." "H5N1 is an emerging disease in dairy cattle, and conducting disease surveillance supports the state's ability to effectively respond to outbreaks and limit the potential impact on the livestock and poultry industries, as well as on public health," said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. The MDA is reminding people that "all raw dairy products may contain harmful bacteria, parasites, or viruses which can cause illness." The Minnesota department is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on funding for the testing. The federal department announced a National Milk Testing Strategy in December, with 36 states now signed up.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Minnesota to begin testing raw cow milk for H5N1
Feb. 18—Beginning the week of Feb. 24, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), working with state government and industry partners, will begin sampling and testing raw cow's milk for the H5N1 flu virus to identify where the virus is present, monitor trends, and prevent its spread to unaffected dairy herds and poultry flocks around the state, according to a release Tuesday. "H5N1 is an emerging disease in dairy cattle, and conducting disease surveillance supports the state's ability to effectively respond to outbreaks and limit the potential impact on the livestock and poultry industries, as well as on public health," said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. There is no concern for the safety of the public milk supply, as all milk sold in stores is pasteurized to kill bacteria and viruses, and pasteurization has been shown to effectively eliminate active H5N1 virus present in milk. People and pets should not consume unpasteurized (raw) milk, raw milk cheeses, or raw or undercooked meat from animals with suspected or confirmed H5N1 virus infection. All raw dairy products may contain harmful bacteria, parasites, or viruses which can cause illness. The MDA will order the testing of raw milk samples already collected from each of Minnesota's approximately 1,600 dairy farms on a monthly basis. These routinely collected bulk milk samples, which are taken before the pasteurization process, will be sub-sampled by industry labs and sent for H5N1 testing to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (MVDL) at the University of Minnesota. When a sample analysis shows the presence of influenza virus, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) will be notified to collect an additional verification sample to confirm the presence of the H5N1 virus on the identified farm. All non-negative samples will also be forwarded to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, for further confirmation and genetic typing. The BAH will also initiate a farm quarantine and disease investigation. Any farm where H5N1 is confirmed will be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days, during which no livestock, poultry, cats, manure, waste milk, or carcasses can leave the farm without a movement permit from the BAH. Milk from healthy animals can still be sold for pasteurization, as usual. Before lifting the quarantine, a farm must have three consecutive negative bulk milk tank tests taken at least seven days apart, and complete management and biosecurity plans for preventing the spread of the virus. Case managers will help farms work through this process. When H5N1 is confirmed in a herd, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will request a list of people on the farm who were exposed to the infected herd. MDH workers will contact these individuals to give them the option to enroll in human health monitoring. Human cases of H5N1 are rare, and to date no human cases have been found in Minnesota. "Although we understand that people may be concerned about getting sick with H5N1, the risk to the general public remains low at this time," said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist and medical director at MDH. "People most at risk are those who have direct contact with infected or potentially infected animals and their environments." Symptoms of H5N1 in people can include red, itchy, watery eyes and/or cough, sore throat, and a fever. This testing plan is part of the National Milk Testing Strategy announced in December by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), which requires sampling and testing of all raw cow milk for H5N1. The MDA is working with the federal agency on funding for the testing. USDA-APHIS is providing financial support to help dairy producers enhance biosecurity on their farms and follow the necessary response protocols if H5N1 is confirmed in their herd. Anyone with questions about the testing plan can contact the MDA at or visit the MDA website for more information.
