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Board of Animal Health reviews disease threats, lab capacity and federal funding
Summary
The Board reviewed H5N1 surveillance, new‑world screwworm preparedness and laboratory funding needs, noting Minnesota’s Category 4 status for milk testing, USDA grant opportunities and concerns about staffing and surge capacity at the state veterinary diagnostic lab.
The Board of Animal Health met at the Animal Humane Shelter and spent substantial time on infectious‑disease preparedness, ranging from avian influenza to the emerging new‑world screwworm threat and statewide lab capacity.
Brian, a board staff presenter, summarized national grant programs and testing strategy changes, saying Minnesota “is still in the category 4” for milk testing and outlining a shift toward milk‑silo testing in collaboration with USDA laboratories. He highlighted a federal poultry innovation challenge that awarded $100 million and noted that several Minnesota recipients — including the University of Minnesota — received awards.
Hemeth Naidhkovich, the state veterinary diagnostic lab director, described laboratory capacity and funding. “We do about 800 to 850,000 tests every year,” Hemeth said, and he warned that staffing shortfalls and flat state support over 15 years have created sustainability risks. The lab has secured a $1,000,000 competitive federal award for LIMS and equipment upgrades, but Hemeth said persistent recruitment and recurring cost pressures leave long‑term capacity uncertain.
On new‑world screwworm, USDA and state presenters described the fly’s lifecycle, recent outbreaks in Mexico, and USDA preparations including sterile‑fly production and dispersal planning along the U.S.–Mexico border. USDA emphasized that import restrictions on cattle and horses from Mexico remain in effect and urged producers and veterinarians to report suspicious larvae and treat wounds promptly.
The board also discussed continued requirements for pre‑movement testing of dairy cattle and the phased rollout of electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (eCVIs) — already required for exports and scheduled for imports later in the year — as a measure to strengthen traceability.
The meeting closed this section by stressing coordination across agencies, outreach to producers and migrant‑worker communities, and the importance of federal‑state lab funding and staffing to keep response times and surveillance robust.
