USDA - APHIS - Animal Health Monitoring & Surveillance

National Animal Health Surveillance System Outlook

Issue 4, February 2005

The NAHSS Outlook is an electronic communication with information about the National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) that is distributed via email to all members of Veterinary Services. Contact the National Surveillance Unit to provide comments and suggestions for future topics.

Articles in This Issue:

First-Ever U.S. Animal Health Report

There are several factors that present an array of challenges to maintaining a healthy animal population, including increased global trade, larger and more concentrated animal populations, and the potential for complacency in assuming that our domestic and wild animal populations will always be healthy. The first-ever U.S. Animal Health Report will provide a national overview of animal health in the United States and serve as a valuable source of information on the state of America's livestock, poultry, and aquaculture populations. Read more about the First U.S. Animal Health Report

Measuring and Improving Data Quality, Part I

In this first installment of a four part series on data quality, Michael Martin of Clemson University gives real world examples of "data gone wrong." Veterinary disease surveillance programs are data intensive and rely on consistent access to high quality data from a variety of sources. Veterinary epidemiologists use data derived from surveillance efforts to create information for decision makers. Professionals at all levels in Veterinary Services have control over data quality and have a chance to apply scientific principles to improve data quality from within the organization. Read the first article in a 3-article series about Measuring and Improving Data Quality

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance

Chronic Wasting Disease was first recognized as clinical "wasting" syndrome in mule deer at a wildlife research center in Colorado in 1967. In 1998 and 1999, the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) endorsed the development of a CWD program. Since the national "Plan for Assisting States, Federal Agencies, and Tribes in Managing Chronic Wasting Disease in Wild and Captive Cervids" was adopted in June 2002, APHIS-VS has cooperated with the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to promote uniform, nationwide surveillance, while allowing flexibility to meet individual State situations. Read more about Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance .

Early Assessment of Animal Disease Events

In the December 2004 issue of NAHSS Outlook, Chris Kopral described how the Center for Emerging Issues utilizes an internet software filter called Pathfinder to search sources of information external to Veterinary Services. This software helps identify animal health events which may pose a threat to U.S. agriculture. In this issue of NAHSS Outlook , Kathy Orloski describes how CEI analysts verify findings, turning an overwhelming amount of information into actionable intelligence. Read more about the Early Assessment of Animal Disease Events

Avian Infleunza Surveys in Waterfowl, Part I

The recent emergence of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza in Asia has gained widespread media attention. Novel viral agents have the potential to adversely affect international trade in poultry commodities and can serve as the sources of a human influenza pandemic. Wild and domestic waterfowl play a significant role in influenza virus ecology and are thought to be responsible for the geographic dissemination of influenza subtypes along major migratory flyways. Virologists have recovered all 15 H and 9 N avian influenza A subtypes through wildlife waterfowl surveys. The first article in this two part series reviews epidemiologic studies thought to link wild migratory waterfowl with outbreaks of avian influenza in domestic poultry operations. Read this first article in a series about Avian Influenza Surveys in Waterfowl .