Department Reminds Farmers to Practice Biosecurity Measures

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets today reminded New York poultry and dairy farmers to practice good biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The caution follows a detection of HPAI in a dairy herd in Washington a few weeks ago and, most recently, another detection in a dairy herd in Indiana, two states that had not yet seen HPAI in their dairy cattle. In addition, there continue to be reports of detections in wild birds and poultry nationwide during the migratory season. While no cases of HPAI have been found to date in New York dairy cattle, the Department remains proactive, taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of HPAI, including maintaining its testing and import requirements for dairy cattle. To date, there are no cases of HPAI in humans in New York State and the Department of Health reminds New Yorkers that the risk to humans is low.

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are appreciative of our farmers’ proactive actions and hard work to make sure their animals are safe. We encourage our cattle and poultry farmers to keep their guard up and, as we slowly wind down migratory season, to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures and ensure strong on-farm biosecurity measures are in place.”

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “While the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza to people remains low, we continue to monitor the situation and work with state and federal partners to protect the health of New Yorkers. We encourage farmers and poultry owners to follow recommended biosecurity practices, avoid contact between domestic animals and wild birds and quickly report any signs of illness. Staying vigilant and taking preventive steps will reduce the risk of spread and protect animal and public health.”

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Minimizing risks to New York’s wildlife from highly pathogenic avian influenza is essential to preserving our state’s rich biodiversity and natural resources. By taking proactive steps and working closely with our partners, we can help safeguard wildlife populations and the health of our ecosystems.”

Biosecurity Measures

The Department encourages all livestock and commercial and hobby poultry farmers to review their biosecurity plans and take precautions to protect their animals as first line of defense. Poultry biosecurity materials and checklists can be found on the USDA’s “Defend the Flock” website. Livestock biosecurity materials and resources can be found on the USDA livestock website.

General biosecurity tips include:

• discourage unnecessary visitors and use biosecurity signs to warn people not to enter buildings without permission;
• ask all visitors if they have had any contact with any birds in the past five days;
• forbid entry to employees and visitors who own any kind of fowl;
• require all visitors to cover and disinfect all footwear;
• lock all entrances to chicken houses and barns after hours;
• avoid non-essential vehicular traffic on-farm;
• clean and disinfect poultry transport coops and vehicles between hauling birds to processors and returning to the farm; and
• report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to the State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Visitors can help prevent the spread of HPAI by:

• never entering a poultry or dairy farm without permission;
• wearing clean clothes and shoes for any visit to a poultry or dairy farm;
• staying in the parking lot on arrival and calling for an escort onto the poultry or dairy farm;
• refraining from touching animals unless it's part of your job; and
• reporting anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to the State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, dairy farmers and poultry owners should keep their animals away from wild ducks and geese and their droppings. Outdoor access for animals should be limited at this time.

The Department continues to encourage farmers to be in close contact with their veterinarians and report if they see any signs or symptoms of illness in farm animals. If any of these symptoms are noted, veterinarians are urged to call the Department at (518) 457-3502.

To report sick birds, unexplained high number of deaths, or sudden drop in egg production, contact the Department or the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at (866) 536-7593.

New York State’s Response

While there have been no detections of HPAI in livestock in New York to date, the State’s comprehensive prevention and early detection measures remain in place. In addition to participating in USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), the Department also requires testing for raw milk permit holders.

Last summer, the Department announced that New York had achieved Unaffected status within the NMTS. This rigorous standard confirms that New York State has conducted ongoing testing and surveillance activities and that those demonstrate absence of the disease in dairy cattle in the state.

In addition, New York State’s import requirements for dairy cattle coming into New York as well as testing requirements for lactating dairy cattle entering fairs or exhibitions remain in place until further notice.

According to the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), pasteurized milk and pasteurized dairy products remain safe to consume as pasteurization kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk. There is also no concern regarding the consumption of properly cooked meat products. Find out more about HPAI and milk safety.

Additional details, including resources for producers, can be found at agriculture.ny.gov/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai.

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