The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has enacted mandatory surveillance for the H5N1 virus in all dairies in Cache County, following the detection of the virus in a commercial poultry flock in the county.
On October 12, UDAF reported that a commercial egg laying flock in Cache County had been affected by H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Shortly thereafter, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported that the flock involved 1,852,900 hens.
Under the new order for mandatory H5N1 testing, UDAF inspectors will collect bulk samples weekly from all dairies in Cache County at no cost to producers. In the event of a positive test, the dairy will be placed under a quarantine, and no movement of lactating cattle will be permitted on or off the facility, with the exception of cattle going directly to slaughter.
To date, H5N1 was not been detected in any of Utah’s dairies, but since March it has been found in 14 states, including the bordering states of Idaho, Wyoming and Colorado. Also, the Cache County layer flock is the only commercial poultry flock to be affected in Utah so far in 2024.
UDAF stated that it is working closely with dairy producers in the area, as well as the Utah Department of Health and Human Services and other local, state and federal partners on avian influenza response plans, surveillance and biosecurity protocols.
Federal funding is being provided to cover the costs related to the testing in Cache County.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
To learn more about HPAI cases in commercial poultry flocks in the United States, Mexico and Canada, see an interactive map on WATTPoultry.com.
