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Michigan dairy quarantines possible following HPAI monitoring

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director says dairy farms could be quarantined following positive HPAI milk testing results.

Michigan was one of the first states to participate in USDA’s raw milk testing pilot program last month to better track highly pathogenic avian influenza. State Ag Director Tim Boring tells Brownfield, “We’re moving into a position where herds are going to be quarantined in the immediate case.”

“It’s a little bit different than how we’ve been handling this up to this point, but they’re very nuanced and kind of site-specific responses,” he explains.

As part of the federal strategy, when a milk sample is confirmed positive for the virus, farms will be subject to state investigations and compliance. In Michigan, animal movement becomes more restrictive, calves are required to be fed milk replacer or pasteurized milk, and farms must implement approved enhanced biosecurity plans.

“We’re implementing what we know today and we’re maintaining a flexible approach into the future of kind of how this continues to evolve,” he shares.

Boring says he’s hopeful the state will be able to achieve a disease-free status quicker because of its early participation in federal programs.

Boring says being one of the first states to experience the virus crossing into dairy cattle has helped better prepare officials, farmers, and researchers to respond to outbreaks and adjust as more is understood.

Brownfield interviewed Boring as part of this week’s Michigan Agri-Business Association Winter Conference in Lansing.