TN State Vet Issues Dairy Cattle Restriction

The Tennessee state veterinarian has issued a movement restriction on dairy cattle coming to Tennessee. This is in response to the USDA confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)…or bird flu…being found in dairy cattle in four states. Those states are Texas, Kansas, Michigan, and New Mexico. No dairy cattle can be ,moved into Tennessee for now from those states. The state veterinarian’s office says that although there have been no detections of bird flu in cattle in Tennessee , producers are reminded to practice strong biosecurity. Cattle owners should minimize animal movements and isolate any sick cattle. New animals brought in should be quarantined for a minimum of two weeks before introducing them into an established herd.

The USDA says there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply, as dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption. Milk from impacted animals is being diverted or destroyed so that it does not enter the food supply. Additionally, pasteurization, which is required for all milk being sold commercially, effectively kills bacteria and viruses like influenza in milk.