Penn state dairy herd declared avian flu free

By Blake Jackson

Penn State's dairy herd has been certified as free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) after three weeks of testing under a voluntary state monitoring program.

This announcement comes from the College of Agricultural Sciences, where animal health experts conducted the testing.

“The Penn State dairy herd has achieved ‘monitored herd’ status under the Pennsylvania Lactating Dairy Cow Health Monitoring Program,” said extension veterinarian Ernest Hovingh, clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences and director of Penn State’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory. “This means the herd has met all program requirements, including having multiple negative weekly test results for the HPAI virus.”

In response to avian flu outbreaks in other states, Penn State initiated testing of its herd in July. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages all dairy farms in the state to participate in the voluntary monitoring program to detect HPAI early.

The Animal Diagnostic Lab at Penn State, one of three labs in the state-funded Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, analyzed bulk-tank milk samples from the Penn State dairy herd. The highly accurate real-time PCR test used confirmed the absence of HPAI in all samples.

Research Professor and Attending Veterinarian Jacob Werner emphasized the health of Penn State's cows and the absence of new animals from other farms, which are considered prime means of HPAI spread. He noted that weekly testing will continue under the state monitoring program.

“It’s a very simple process to take a sample and submit it to the lab,” Werner said. “And there’s no charge for the testing, since that’s covered by the USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network.”

Hovingh and Werner highlighted Penn State's leadership in supporting state and national surveillance efforts by testing its dairy cattle for avian flu. They hope to inspire other dairy producers to participate in the Lactating Dairy Cow Health Monitoring Program, contributing to Pennsylvania's HPAI-free status and early detection of any potential outbreaks.

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