National Animal Health Surveillance System Outlook
Issue 17, February 2008
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:
- "Toolbox" Helps Responders Plan Disease Outbreak Surveillance
- NAADSM Simulates Animal Disease Spread, Control
- Two Animal Health Steering Committees Hold First Joint Meeting
- Accredited Vets Provide First Line of Surveillance
Click here for updates on the New CEI Director, recent surveillance publications, and the quarterly disease summary.
"Toolbox" Helps Responders Plan Disease Outbreak Surveillance
Responding to an outbreak of a foreign or domestic animal disease can be stressful for all participants, starting with the initial point of control and ending with eradication of the disease. In response to the recognized need for standardized, efficient methods for surveillance planning in an outbreak, the National Surveillance Unit is developing a "toolbox" for disease outbreaks focused on surveillance. The toolbox reflects an effort to standardize the surveillance planning associated with a disease outbreak. It also provides the resources that a first-responder epidemiologist needs to design a sustainable surveillance strategy that fits the individual conditions and environment of any given disease outbreak. Find out more about the outbreak surveillance toolbox.
NAADSM Simulates Animal Disease Spread, Control
The North American Animal Disease Spread Model (NAADSM) is designed to simulate the spread and control of highly contagious diseases in a population of susceptible animals. The model has been developed through a continuing international collaboration involving researchers from the United States and Canada, along with support, involvement, and advice from a broad international pool of subject matter experts. While a major emphasis of the NAADSM project is the application of a model suitable for use in North America, it has been used in several training courses offered largely to international audiences. The model has also been used to assist with emergency disease preparedness. Read more about the NAADSM.
Two Animal Health Steering Committees Hold First Joint Meeting
The National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) and National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) Steering Committees held their first joint face-to-face meeting in January. Both committees represent various stakeholders in the NAHLN and the NAHSS and are heavily involved in issues affecting animal health surveillance in the United States. The purposes of the joint meeting were to introduce committee members and discuss charge and functions; discuss cooperative development and implementation of surveillance in detail; and identify specific points for future interaction, coordination, and cooperation. Each committee identified several action items aimed at promoting the synergies of the NAHLN, the NAHSS, and the two steering committees. Read more about the NAHLN-NAHSS meeting.
Accredited Vets Provide First Line of Surveillance
In addition to helping ensure that exported animals do not introduce disease into other countries, accredited veterinarians also provide the first line of surveillance for reportable domestic and foreign animal diseases. The National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) authorizes veterinarians to perform regulatory functions on behalf of APHIS-VS to comply with international trade requirements and to protect animal health. These duties help provide safeguarding to prevent U.S. animal agriculture from becoming a bioterrorism target. When large-scale animal disease or other emergency events occur, accredited veterinarians are often enlisted to help with APHIS’ containment and eradication efforts. Learn more about the veterinary accreditation program here.