For people working with animals

Resources for animal industry, farmers, backyard flock owners, hunters, and pet owners. You can find guidance for your state on the map below, and you can find you state Vet here.

The USDA can help producers with:

• PPE and/or laundering
• Biosecurity planning and implementation
• Heat treatment for waste milk
• Veterinarian costs
• Shipping costs for samples

Immediate Actions for Dairy Farmers

1. If you work with dairy cows suspected or confirmed to have avian flu and you start to feel sick, please contact your local public health department.
2. Report dead or sick birds or animals to the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593
3. Follow National Milk Testing (NMTS). If you are in a required state: test raw (unpasteurized) milk intended for pasteurization, and report HPAI positive milk (Ferderal requirement since Dec 6, 2024).
4. Get clearance before interstate movement of cattle (Federal requirement since April 24, 2024)
5. Improve biosecurity (Highly advised): EN , ES
6. Track movement of your cattle using an Animal Movement Log (Highly advised): EN

State Specific Information

General Updates for Farm Workers

• December 6, 2024: National Milk Testing Strategy: USDA has implemented testing requirements for raw (unpasteurized) milk intended for pasteurization and reporting requirements for HPAI positive milk here
• April 24, 2024: USDA has implemented testing requirements for the interstate movement of lactating dairy cattle in an effort to contain the spread of disease. The order can be found on USDA’s website here
• The USDA provides financial assistance for milk testing, PPE, offset for milk loss, and other biosecurity measures.
• There is free technical support available to improve your farms cybersecurity and operational systems. Please contact ISAC.
• Some states offer free PPE (colorado)

Additional Resources for Poultry farmers

• Penn State Extension: Poultry Houses – Biosecurity
• Penn State Extension: Biosecurity: Protecting Your Birds from Disease
• Penn State Extension: National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) Biosecurity Planning
• Penn State Extension: Creating a Poultry Flock Plan

Additional Resources for Dairy farmers

• Request a free biosecurity kit sent to you here
• Signs, training videos, cleaning guides, in Spanish and English, here
• Is my state enrolled in the National Milk Testing Strategy (NMST)? See Below

Additional resources for other animal farmers

• CDC’s guidance for backyard flock owners
• USDA guide for HPAI in Sheep, goats and camelid

Additional Resources for wildlife managers and Hunters

• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): What You Need to Know if You are a Hunter (PDF)
• Health Information for People in Contact with Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Positive Wildlife (PDF)

Additional Resources for pet owners

• Influenza A(H5N1) Infection has caused the death of domestic cats and zoo animals (mountain lion, cheetah) in 2024. The cause was likely unpasteurized milk.
• Influenza A(H5N1) Infection in Companion Animals: Guidance for Veterinary Clinics from the Minnesota Department of Health and the Board of Animal Health (PDF)