NAHSS Activity Update, October 2006
The National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) Steering Committee met in Fort Collins, CO, August 23 and 24. The NAHSS Steering Committee represents NAHSS stakeholders and includes representatives from livestock and poultry industries, State animal health agencies, diagnostic laboratory organizations, academic institutions, and relevant Federal agencies. Among the topics discussed were prioritization; strategic planning; updates on surveillance for poultry, cattle, swine, and equine diseases; application of surveillance tools and methods; and emerging disease surveillance.
The National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS) Steering Committee, consisting of representatives from the United States Animal Health Association, American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, State Veterinarian offices, and industry representatives, met in Fort Collins, CO, September 12-13. Meeting topics included a NAHRS overview and accomplishments for 2005-2006, direction of NAHRS in 2006-2007 to include expansion of aquaculture reporting, and efforts to recruit the final nonparticipating States
APHIS held an Animal Health Surveillance Symposium on September 19-20 in Beltsville, MD. Participants from across APHIS gathered to discuss their programs' surveillance activities, methodologies, and policy. Break-out sessions were held for interactive idea sharing for the planning, integration, and prioritization of existing surveillance systems into USDA's Food and Agriculture Biosurveillance Integration System (FABIS). FABIS is a collaborative effort between the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and APHIS to produce a comprehensive and coordinated view of program information in order to proactively identify events affecting agriculture and food products.
The National Center for Animal Health Surveillance has released the second annual U.S. Animal Health Report . The report gives an overview of U.S. livestock, poultry, and aquaculture production in 2005, as well as information on the National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS), animal disease and eradication programs, animal health initiatives, emergency management and response, and trade status. Click here for the 2005 U.S. Animal Health Report is available on the APHIS Web site.