National Animal Health Reporting System
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is NAHRS?
- What is the purpose of the NAHRS program?
- Is NAHRS the only source of data for completing the annual OIE report
- How were the NAHRS diseases chosen?
- What are the benefits of participating in NAHRS?
- What are the costs of participating in NAHRS?
- How is the NAHRS program funded?
- If I consider the OIE list B diseases as 'monitored' or 'notifiable' in my State rather than 'reportable', will it create a problem with my international trade partners?
- How will participation in NAHRS affect the confidentiality of the producers in my State?
- How does NAHRS relate to the poultry-health-status report provided for the Russian Federation, and will I have to create both of these reports?
- Is NAHRS a mandatory program?
- My State would like to participate in NAHRS but I do not have the support of my animal-industry groups. What can I do to encourage their support?
- How will disease reporting for wildlife and feral animals be covered under NAHRS?
- Will disease information on companion animals be reported to NAHRS?
- Who can answer my questions about the NAHRS program?
- What are the data sources for NAHRS?
- Who is responsible for collating the information by State?
- Do I have to report on all of the diseases on the NAHRS list (can I pick and choose)?
- How do I report an endemic disease that doesn't fit the NAHRS case definition?
- If I have a disease known to be widespread but nevertheless well controlled by vaccination and there have been no clinical cases, how do I report it?
- What do I do about cases where there is no answer available at the time the NAHRS report is due (insufficient information)?
- How is commercial poultry defined?
- How are commercial food fish defined?
- Who has the final say on what the NAHRS report for my State looks like?
- How often do I have to report to NAHRS?
- What are the monthly time lines for NAHRS reporting?
- Who sees monthly NAHRS reports and will I get to see reports from other States?
- Will NAHRS summary reports be by State-region or the Nation as a whole?
- How will NAHRS data be reported?
- What are the epidemiological uses of NAHRS data?
The National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS) is a cooperative effort between the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD), the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA) and USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Decisions are made by a joint steering committee.
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What is the purpose of the NAHRS program?
The NAHRS was designed to provide data on the presence of confirmed disease in commercial livestock, poultry and aquaculture species in the U.S. The NAHRS provides data for reports required by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) from member countries
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Is NAHRS the only source of data for completing the annual OIE report?
No, the NAHRS is not the only source of information used to complete the OIE report. The NAHRS was designed to be only one part of a comprehensive and integrated U.S. animal health information system.
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How were the NAHRS diseases chosen?
Because the NAHRS was designed to supply data for our OIE reports, the diseases are those included on the OIE Reportable Disease list for cattle, small ruminants, horses, swine, commercial poultry, and commercial aquaculture. Future plans are to also include OIE reportable diseases for crustaceans, lagomorphs, bees, and molluscs.
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What are the benefits of participating in NAHRS?
Participation in the NAHRS will strengthen your State's internal disease surveillance abilities and enable your animal industries to provide information needed for international trade.
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What are the costs of participating in NAHRS?
Costs are associated with collection and validation of information on cases of clinical disease in your State. The average time needed to complete the monthly reports is estimated to be four hours a month.
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How is the NAHRS program funded?
No additional program funds are currently available.
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If I consider the OIE list B diseases as 'monitored' or 'notifiable' in my State rather than 'reportable', will it create a problem with my international trade partners?
Considering a disease as 'monitored' or 'notifiable' rather than 'reportable' should not create any problems. The important idea is that we are tracking disease occurrence and have an adequate infrastructure to identify and report disease in commercial livestock, poultry and aquaculture.
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How will participation in NAHRS affect the confidentiality of the producers in my State?
The NAHRS collects summary data of disease presence only. No individual owner or animal location information is submitted. Data are collected through and verified by chief State animal health officials (State Veterinarian) so there are no surprises in what is reported. The National annual summary does not identify individual State disease status.
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How does NAHRS relate to the poultry-health-status report provided for the Russian Federation, and will I have to create both of these reports?
If your State provides a report to the Russians for poultry export, you can use that report to help you complete the commercial-poultry section of the NAHRS report and vice versa.
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Participation in the NAHRS is voluntary.
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My State would like to participate in NAHRS but I do not have the support of my animal-industry groups. What can I do to encourage their support?
Educational materials on the NAHRS are available through the CEAH staff. APHIS staff and steering committee members are available to meet with industry groups and others to discuss the NAHRS and address their concerns.
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How will disease reporting for wildlife and feral animals be covered under NAHRS?
The NAHRS is intended to report on commercial livestock, poultry and aquaculture. While disease information on wildlife or feral species may be reported to the system, reporting officials are asked to clearly state in the comment section that reporting is related to wildlife or feral species..
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Will disease information on companion animals be reported to NAHRS?
No. The NAHRS was designed to collect data on commercial livestock, poultry, and aquaculture species. Definitions of commercial livestock, poultry, and aquaculture can be found in NAHRS Uniform Methods & Rules.
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Who can answer my questions about the NAHRS program?
Contact information for NAHRS website
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What are the data sources for NAHRS?
Data sources include, but are not limited to, animal disease diagnostic laboratories, public health laboratories that test for zoonotic diseases, private practitioners, accredited veterinarians, fish and wildlife departments, extension veterinarians, universities, and veterinary teaching hospitals. Anyone who is able to provide you with verifiable animal health data should be considered a potential data source. Letters requesting test result information on animals from your State can be sent to out-of-State laboratories and laboratories from other agencies such as public health and fish and wildlife departments.
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Who is responsible for collating the information by State?
In a State, the chief State animal health official, or their designee, is responsible for collating the data. After the data have been submitted to CEAH, they generate the various verification and summary reports.
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Do I have to report on all of the diseases on the NAHRS list (can I pick and choose)?
Participation in the NAHRS is voluntary, however participating States need to report on ALL listed diseases for the industries in the State.
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How do I report an endemic disease that doesn't fit the NAHRS case definition?
The disease reporting criteria are intended as minimum guidelines. If you have a case which fits the reporting criteria, you must report the presence of confirmed disease. If you have a case which does not meet the reporting criteria, you may use additional information to decide whether or not to report the presence of confirmed disease to the NAHRS.
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If I have a disease known to be widespread but nevertheless well controlled by vaccination and there have been no clinical cases, how do I report it?
Again, you are only being asked to report the presence of confirmed disease in your State.
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What do I do about cases where there is no answer available at the time the NAHRS report is due (insufficient information)?
Report when a case is confirmed--many disease definitions include a 'presumptive' and a 'definitive' diagnosis. Past reports can be edited by contacting the NAHRS Coordinator by phone or an e-mail describing changes required to a report.
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How is commercial poultry defined?
The NAHRS UM&R defines commercial poultry as domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and game birds, except doves and pigeons, which are maintained primarily for commercial production of eggs and meat. Backyard poultry are defined as domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, waterfowl, and game birds, except doves and pigeons, which are maintained for hobby or non-commercial production of eggs and meat. The chief State animal health official may use the following criteria to define commercial for a State: The Poultry Meat inspection act defines commercial as greater than 3,000 birds. Criteria used by California as a pilot State consider the number of birds housed at a
facility; the management of a facility, local marketing and commerce of birds or bird
products originating from the facility; and the potential of international trade of birds or bird products originating from the facility.
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How are commercial food fish defined?
The NAHRS UM&R defines commercial food fish as those finfish maintained in captivity for the production of food. This definition excludes those finfish maintained for ornamental or exhibition purposes.
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Who has the final say on what the NAHRS report for my State looks like?
The chief State animal health official, or their designee, makes the final decision on data reported to the NAHRS for a State.
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How often do I have to report to NAHRS?
The NAHRS is designed to gather data on a monthly basis. The steering committee and pilot States felt that monthly reporting was not too great a burden and decreased the possibility of recall errors
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What are the monthly time lines for NAHRS reporting?
Disease data reports from previous month are due the middle of the month, preferably by the 20th.
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Who sees monthly NAHRS reports and will I get to see reports from other States?
The monthly State reports are seen by the submitting State and designated Veterinary Services staff.
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Will NAHRS summary reports be by State-region or the Nation as a whole?
The data in the NAHRS National annual summary is currently by the nation as a whole.
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How will NAHRS data be reported?
The NAHRS monthly State report requests information on the presence of individual diseases by commodity. The NAHRS is currently based on the presence rather than the amount of disease. NAHRS reporting is best accomplished utilizing the secure web reporting through the NAHRS Online Reporting System . The NAHRS National annual summary provides a summary of reports of presence by disease
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What are the epidemiological uses of NAHRS data?
The data collected by the NAHRS are qualitative presence data and should be used accordingly. A positive report may be considered representative of the presence of confirmed clinical disease.
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