On Dec. 12, 2024, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), with significant input from Oregon’s dairy industry and processors, launched its milk testing and monitoring program this week. The program aims to protect farms, farmworkers, and communities from H5N1 avian influenza.

Select processors will begin collecting raw (unpasteurized) milk samples this week, and more processors will join the program in the next few weeks. It’s estimated that by January 2025 more than 75 percent of Oregon’s milk will be under surveillance. To date, Oregon has not confirmed H5N1 in dairy cattle or milk.

On December 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the start of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), naming Oregon as one of six states included in its first round of states to begin periodic testing of raw or unpasteurized milk. Oregon’s dairy industry and processors agreed to go a step further and collect samples weekly. The Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (OVDL) at Oregon State University (OSU) will test the milk samples and share the results with USDA.