Lactating dairy cattle being moved across state lines from states classified as Unaffected under the National Milk Testing Strategy are no longer required to be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza before transport, the Colorado Department of Agriculture said in a Monday, May 4, update.

The new federal guidance is a notable shift from Colorado’s 2024 testing requirements at the height of the outbreak.

The change follows updated guidance issued April 27 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The federal order requiring pre-movement HPAI testing of lactating dairy cattle, originally issued in April 2024, remains in place for cattle moving from states with provisional or affected status.

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Colorado has updated its dairy cattle import requirements accordingly. Lactating dairy cattle entering Colorado from another Unaffected state under the National Milk Testing Strategy no longer require HPAI testing prior to import. Colorado will continue its monthly dairy cattle testing in alignment with the strategy.

“Colorado is pleased to see USDA take this next step to reduce the testing burden for interstate movement,” the department said in a statement. “We have been advocating for this for quite some time and it is encouraging to see it moving forward.”

Officials said producers should still confirm import requirements with the destination state, since some states may continue to require testing. Lactating dairy cattle moving directly to slaughter, or to a market for sale direct to slaughter, remain exempt from testing but must travel under either an owner hauler/shipper statement or a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.

Unaffected State Status under the National Milk Testing Strategy requires ongoing surveillance to confirm the absence of HPAI in a state’s dairy herds. Provisionally Unaffected states still must test cattle prior to interstate movement, as required by the April 2024 federal order.

The update follows a resolution from the United States Animal Health Association in October 2025 and is expected to draw broad support from dairy producers and state animal health officials. APHIS does not anticipate any impact on trade in cattle or beef and dairy products.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza was first confirmed in U.S. dairy cattle in spring 2024, prompting federal testing requirements aimed at slowing interstate spread. Colorado’s dairy industry was among those affected during the early outbreak.

Federal testing requirements were initially issued in response to early federal and state worries about cross-species spread.

Producers with questions can contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture Animal Health Division at animalhealth@state.co.us or 303-869-9130. The updated USDA guidance document is available through APHIS.