NMPF assembled a technical committee made up of key stakeholders including dairy producers, veterinarians, and state and federal partners on Sept. 4-5 in Arlington, VA, to discuss the biggest hurdles and opportunities for the industry since H5N1 was found in dairy cows.
The workshop was funded in part through a USDA grant to bring together stakeholders for H5N1 discussions and recommendations. As the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle continues to evolve, new challenges have emerged and the actions to date need to be evaluated and refined based on new information. This requires a coordinated approach to address animal health, public health, food safety and environmental concerns. NMPF has been a strong leader throughout this outbreak crisis and is uniquely positioned to bring stakeholders together.
Participants– including state veterinarians, dairy producers, researchers, state public health officials, laboratory experts from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and representatives from the Food and Drug Administration, USDA National Preparedness and Incident Coordination, USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service– shared their unique perspectives and challenges.
The meeting included presentations on herd-level surveillance, diagnostics for surveillance, and the latest research on transmission. Dr. Mark Lyons, director of the USDA Ruminant Health Center, and Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle, owner of Preventalytics and the workshop facilitator, presented on current and future herd level surveillance. This presentation led to a group discussion and breakout sessions on surveillance goals and what it means to achieve disease elimination.
Participants also discussed research needs for disease transmission following a presentation from Dr. Lindsey Holstrom from USDA NPIC, and opportunities for testing following presentations on diagnostics from Dr. Suelee Robbe Austerman of USDA NVSL, Dr. Drew Magstadt of Iowa State University, Dr. Jason Lombard of Colorado State University, and Dr. Keith Paulson of the University of Wisconsin.
Finally, participants explored the communications needs for various audiences as the industry continues to navigate this disease.
The discussions from the September workshop, as well as earlier meetings and surveys of the technical working group, will be used to inform a series of reports outlining recommendations for the industry.
