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The Dairy Herd Status Program is a voluntary program that offers dairy producers the option to monitor their herds via weekly bulk milk samples before moving them across State lines, without having to test each individual animal. This helps support ongoing HPAI testing to better understand the virus, reduce the risk of further spread, and meet movement restrictions.
How the Dairy Herd Status Program Works
Dairy producers who choose to enroll their herds agree to weekly herd testing. After 3 consecutive weeks of negative test results for HPAI at a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory, the herd receives a Monitored Unaffected herd status. Continued weekly bulk tank sample testing with negative results and participation in the Dairy Herd Status Program allows the herd to maintain the Monitored Unaffected herd status and move animals interstate without additional individual animal premovement testing currently required under the April 2024 Federal Order.
Herds not enrolled in the program continue to follow the interstate testing and movement requirements published in the Federal Order. Program Details
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Enrollment
Herd Monitoring Plan and Herd Status Definitions
Establishing and Maintaining Monitored Unaffected Herd Status
Regaining Monitored Unaffected Herd Status
Below are the steps to clear your herd and regain Monitored Unaffected status after a positive test result:
While a herd is in Monitored Affected status, the herd cannot move lactating animals as outlined in the guidance associated with the April 2024 Federal Order.
1 Data shows that 4 consecutive weeks of negative BTM testing is sufficient to gain Monitored Unaffected status for herds with a history of HPAI detection. This is true even without testing milk from sick or newly freshened cows, which the Dairy Herd Status Program previously required for enrollment. Field data shows that BTM testing is very sensitive and positive results in BTM occur before widespread clinical illness in the herd. Therefore, it is unlikely that testing milk from sick or newly freshened cows significantly increases the chance of detecting an affected herd.
Weekly Updates: Herd Enrollment
Herd enrollment information is updated on Fridays.
There are currently 115 herds across 20 States enrolled in the voluntary Dairy Herd Status Program.
Related Links
How the Dairy Herd Status Program Works
Dairy producers who choose to enroll their herds agree to weekly herd testing. After 3 consecutive weeks of negative test results for HPAI at a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory, the herd receives a Monitored Unaffected herd status. Continued weekly bulk tank sample testing with negative results and participation in the Dairy Herd Status Program allows the herd to maintain the Monitored Unaffected herd status and move animals interstate without additional individual animal premovement testing currently required under the April 2024 Federal Order.
Herds not enrolled in the program continue to follow the interstate testing and movement requirements published in the Federal Order. Program Details
Expand All
Enrollment
Herd Monitoring Plan and Herd Status Definitions
Establishing and Maintaining Monitored Unaffected Herd Status
Regaining Monitored Unaffected Herd Status
Below are the steps to clear your herd and regain Monitored Unaffected status after a positive test result:
- An epidemiological investigation is prioritized for any previously Provisional or Monitored Herd. This enables subsequent movement restrictions for low-risk animals to resume as soon as possible.
- Option 1: On-farm samples are collected and submitted to a NAHLN laboratory for 4 consecutive weeks1 of negative test results.
- Option 2: On-farm samples are collected and submitted to a NAHLN laboratory for 2 consecutive weeks of negative test results. Concurrent with the second weekly test, the producer collects and submit samples composed of pooled milk from all lactating cows in the sick and fresh pens. This test must also be negative.
- The herd shall demonstrate an absence of all of the following for at least 2 or 4 weeks (depending on selected option above):
- Clinical signs
- Production changes (such as unusual drop in milk production) associated with HPAI in cattle
- Rates of herd illness (in particular, mastitis and respiratory disease) above expected seasonal baseline levels
While a herd is in Monitored Affected status, the herd cannot move lactating animals as outlined in the guidance associated with the April 2024 Federal Order.
1 Data shows that 4 consecutive weeks of negative BTM testing is sufficient to gain Monitored Unaffected status for herds with a history of HPAI detection. This is true even without testing milk from sick or newly freshened cows, which the Dairy Herd Status Program previously required for enrollment. Field data shows that BTM testing is very sensitive and positive results in BTM occur before widespread clinical illness in the herd. Therefore, it is unlikely that testing milk from sick or newly freshened cows significantly increases the chance of detecting an affected herd.
Weekly Updates: Herd Enrollment
Herd enrollment information is updated on Fridays.
There are currently 115 herds across 20 States enrolled in the voluntary Dairy Herd Status Program.
Related Links
- Factsheet: HPAI Dairy Herd Status Program
- Press Release: USDA Announces $824 Million in New Funding to Protect Livestock Health; Launches Voluntary H5N1 Dairy Herd Status Program (5/30/24)