Diagnostic Tests

15 states added to National Milk Testing Strategy for H5N1

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 14:29:19 -0500

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that 15 additional states have enrolled in the National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), bringing the total number of states to 28 in roughly one month since the program launched.

HPAI update: Seven states added for milk testing; California declares state of emergency

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:05:51 -0500

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6.

Transition cow: Immune suppression or a state of immune robustness?

julieannopgenorth@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Fresh cows are more susceptible to disease than at any other point in their lactation, and this is traditionally attributed to a suppressed immune system around calving.

Weekly Digest: Federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 15:08:01 -0500

In the news as we approach the middle of December, a federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines, dairy farmers are invited to apply for financial incentives to implement climate-smart practices, farm income falls $41 billion in two years, and the first HPAI-positive dairy case is found in Nevada.

USDA releases plans for nationwide HPAI milk testing strategy

karen@agproud.com — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:34:56 -0500

The USDA issued a new federal order on Friday, Dec. 6, that requires raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with the USDA to test for the prevalence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

Weekly Digest: USDA to begin bulk milk testing for H5N1

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 16:26:48 -0400

Here’s an update on news impacting your dairy as October 2024 comes to an end.

Looking at Regulatory Factors of Milk and Selling Dairy Products

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The safe consumption and distribution of milk and dairy products is highly regulated to keep customers safe. All farms are required to submit milk bulk tank samples for testing to ensure that there are no antibiotics present in the milk. When a milk tanker is contaminated, it costs farms and milk cooperatives money. That’s where services offered by a milk analysis laboratory come in to help prevent this problem from happening for dairies.

Weekly Digest: Colorado mandates statewide HPAI testing of dairy herds

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In the news this week, Colorado is mandating weekly bulk tank testing for HPAI in milk for all commercial dairy herds. More than 500 organizations call for action on the new farm bill and reports are released for dairy markets and beef-on-dairy.

Investigating causes of late-term abortions

angie.rowson@vaxxinova.com — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Learn common pathogenic and nonpathogenic causes of late-term abortions and how dairy producers, their herd veterinarian and veterinary diagnostic laboratories can work together to help find the cause of late-term abortions.

Liver biopsies: A cow’s mineral gauge

louderdvm@gmail.com — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:07:38 -0400

Unfortunately, cows don’t have a dashboard with gauges to tell us which minerals they are low on. Minerals may be considered when things aren’t going well, but how do we know if minerals aren’t adequate? Liver biopsies allow us to check the actual status of the cow without assuming they are OK simply because minerals were offered in the feed. In that sense, liver biopsies are the gauge to tell us how the cow is doing.

Weekly Digest: HPAI financial assistance and testing updates for dairies

karen@agproud.com — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:09:02 -0400

As we flip to a new month, here's a recap of the news announced last week regarding financial assistance for dairy producers facing HPAI, as well as testing and research updates. The news also highlights new versions of the FARM Program just released, grant funding for dairy initiatives, and corn and soybean planing reports.

Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming report cases of HPAI in dairy cattle

karen@agproud.com — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:08:11 -0400

Three new states have detected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy cattle. Last week, state departments in Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming reported cases of the disease, bringing the total of affected states to 12 and number of cases nationwide to just over 90.

Third dairy farmworker diagnosed with H5N1; more herd status testing options available

karen@agproud.com — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 16:19:12 -0400

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a third human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus infection. The USDA is adding an additional $824 million in emergency funding to continue to provide critical rapid response activities and is launching a pilot program to give dairy producers more testing options prior to interstate movement of dairy cattle.

USDA mandates influenza A testing for interstate movement of dairy cattle

karen@agproud.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:12:16 -0400

In response to the threat posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, the USDA has announced proactive measures aimed at safeguarding the nation's livestock industry. The actions of mandated testing and reporting are designed to curb the spread of the disease.

Avian influenza identified as illness affecting dairy cows in the Southwest

karen@agproud.com — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:32:52 -0400

On March 25, the USDA released that unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Southwest dairies affected by unidentified dairy cow illness

karen@agproud.com — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:54:01 -0400

Sudden loss of appetite; decreased milk production; thicker, concentrated, colostrumlike milk; a drop in rumen motility; abnormal tacky or loose feces; and fever are clinical signs reported thus far of an unidentified illness affecting dairy cows in the Southwest. Cases of this contagious illness were first reported several weeks ago in Texas.

Why Do Dairy Farms Want a Milk Urea Nitrogen Test?

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Milk Urea Nitrogen or MUN is a way to see if a dairy farm’s feeding program is a success. A MUN screening test can be performed on a milk sample collected from a cow.

Finding value in problem situations

jason.anderson@vaxxinova.com — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Illness and death of animals is frustrating, no doubt. It has been said, “If you’re going to have livestock, you’re going to have deadstock.” While it may be a cliché, it is an unfortunate reality.

[Podcast] Dr. Alfonso Lago: Feeding Native, Rumen Microbes Improved Milk Yield, Solids, and Feed Efficiency

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0500

Dr. Alfonso Lago, president and chief science officer at the contract research organization, DairyExperts (Tulare, CA), summarizes the results of a trial he conducted on behalf of Native Microbials.

Maximizing laboratory diagnostic testing in dairy cattle

eab73@cornell.edu — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 13:00:01 -0400

We all know infectious diseases exist on dairies. They can present as an outbreak, be endemic in the herd or potentially both, and some cattle diseases may even pose a health risk to farm employees.

A comparison of common cowside ketosis tests

Fri, 24 Feb 2017 14:00:01 -0500

Ketosis has garnered a lot of interest in the last few years. Recent research has pointed to the role of ketosis as a gateway condition for transition cow health events and loss of milk production.

How technology advances can help battle ketosis

sureshraja@dal.ca — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 07:00:00 -0400

Ask any dairy farmer what type of issues they face in today’s industry, and the conversation undoubtedly will move toward money. With most farmers facing decreasing profit margins and some barely hanging on due to increased cost and a stagnant revenue stream, good farmers are always on the lookout for ways to better manage their bottom line.

A smelly problem

aalcaraz@westernu.edu — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 07:00:00 -0500

A postmortem examination is a unique experience because it utilizes the full spectrum of all five senses in order to decipher a case. Upon entering the postmortem room, I hone in on the clues that stimulate my senses.

Case study: Fungal organisms preyed on weakened calves

aalcaraz@westernu.edu — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:00:00 -0400

A busy postmortem room is a very exciting, entreating environment. It is also an important diagnostic tool for a practitioner and a dairy farmer.

‘If it ain’t firm, it ain’t pneumonia’

aalcaraz@westernu.edu — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0500

The postmortem examination technique, also called necropsy, is not complicated. I like to start by placing the carcass on its left side, cutting the dead animal in the right axilla, and proceeding to open the skin from the mandible to the inguinal region.

Gauging success in transition programs

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0500

Wouldn’t it be nice to have that gauge to determine how successful our transition cow program is at present? If we wait to see measurable “wreck” clinical outcomes such as milk fever, retained placenta, metritis, ketosis and displacements of the abomasums, we are late to the realization of a transition program going astray.

Starvation ‘virus’: A non-infectious disease

aalcaraz@westernu.edu — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:00:00 -0400

It was a hot sunny day in southern California when I received a phone call to do a field postmortem. I immediately said yes – I like to do those farm visits because they give me a chance to see the surrounding area and to meet local producers and veterinarians.

Using your ‘sixth sense’ or superior intelligence

aalcaraz@westernu.edu — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 07:00:00 -0400

In the field of post-mortem examination, experienced pathologists develop a sixth sense. I encountered that sixth sense while a first-year resident at Cornell University, in the middle of a winter morning. At 11 a.m. our lab received a phone call letting us know about seven dead heifers from a farm in upstate New York.