The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued guidance that removes a prior testing requirement for lactating dairy cattle shipped out of Indiana for interstate movement. Under the new direction, lactating cows originating from states designated as Unaffected under the National Milk Testing Strategy do not need pre-movement testing for highly pathogenic avian influenza. No HPAI testing now applies to eligible lactating dairy cattle moving interstate from Indiana.
Indiana’s current classification under the National Milk Testing Strategy is NMTS Stage 4, which is the Unaffected tier, and that status is the basis for the change in testing policy. The USDA’s guidance ties testing requirements to the state-of-origin NMTS status rather than to individual shipments, so producers and transporters should confirm their state’s designation before movement. NMTS Stage 4 is the designation cited by state officials in announcing the policy change.
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health said the change is effective immediately and that the state must continue surveillance of its commercial milk supply to retain Unaffected status. BOAH described its monthly surveillance plan for unpasteurized milk as the primary tool to detect any incursion of HPAI in the dairy supply chain. Monthly tanker sampling is collected by BOAH from unpasteurized milk in tanker trucks when they arrive at processing facilities, the agency said.
State surveillance role
BOAH said the tanker sampling method has proven efficient and effective in checking the commercial milk supply, and it will continue that program as a condition of remaining classified Unaffected. The monthly collections are part of a coordinated approach that links state surveillance to the NMTS classification, which in turn determines whether pre-movement testing is required for lactating dairy cattle. BOAH noted that maintaining the sampling program is necessary to assure consumers and trading partners that Indiana’s milk supply remains free of HPAI.
To date, the H5N1 influenza virus has not been detected in Indiana dairy herds through milk testing or via tracked interstate cattle movements, according to the state notice. That absence of detections is the immediate factual basis for permitting interstate movement of lactating cows from Indiana without additional HPAI testing. Producers and handlers should continue routine biosecurity and follow any other state or federal animal health requirements when moving animals.
What this means
Practically, the guidance removes the need for pre-shipment HPAI tests for lactating dairy cattle that originate in Indiana while the state maintains its Unaffected status, which may reduce testing-related delays for some shipments. The testing waiver applies specifically to lactating dairy cattle from states classified as Unaffected under the NMTS; animals from states not meeting that classification remain subject to testing and movement controls. Farmers, haulers and processors should verify NMTS status and follow BOAH and USDA instructions before moving animals across state lines.
The USDA guidance and the Indiana State Board of Animal Health notice together set the current movement rules: Indiana is classified NMTS Stage 4 Unaffected, BOAH will continue monthly milk surveillance, and H5N1 has not been diagnosed at Indiana dairy farms through milk testing or interstate cattle movements.
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