State Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen emphasized the achievement following months of comprehensive testing that required monthly raw milk sampling from every dairy operation to contain potential virus spread. The rigorous surveillance program demonstrated Minnesota’s capacity to rapidly respond to animal health emergencies while maintaining continuous monitoring to protect both animal and public health. The coordinated effort between state and federal agencies ensured early detection capabilities while implementing containment measures that ultimately eliminated H5N1 from Minnesota’s dairy cattle population.

The “unaffected” designation allows Minnesota to reduce testing frequency from monthly to bi-monthly intervals, providing operational relief to dairy producers while maintaining surveillance capabilities. However, monitoring will continue across all 50 states until nationwide clearance is achieved, with Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, and Idaho currently maintaining “affected” status. The USDA ordered nationwide testing after multiple states confirmed H5N1 presence in dairy cattle, establishing comprehensive surveillance systems designed to track and contain the virus across America’s dairy industry.

Minnesota’s successful elimination of H5N1 from dairy herds follows the state’s proactive response to initial detections in June 2024 and March 2025, which prompted immediate raw milk sampling campaigns across operations. The Minnesota Department of Health continues partnering with animal health colleagues to monitor and protect workers who have contact with potentially infected animals, though no human cases have been detected in Minnesota. This integrated approach demonstrates how coordinated surveillance between agricultural and public health agencies can effectively manage emerging zoonotic disease threats.