United States Animal Health Association Newsletter - Vol. 30, No. 2, July 2003 USAHA Protecting Animal and Public Health Since 1897 8100 Three Chopt Road, Suite 203, P.O. Box K227, Richmond, VA 23229* (804) 285-3210 office; (804) 285-3367 fax; www. usaha. org San Diego Annual Meeting Information Look inside for all of the forms necessary to register for the upcom- ing San Diego meeting. Please reg- ister and send payment early. Hotel accommodations informa- tion is provided on page 3. Make your reservations early to be assured of a room. MONKEY POX, GIANT RATS AND PRAIRIE DOGS Bruce Morrison, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Dr. Larry Williams, Nebraska State Veterinarian Until a few weeks ago, most Americans had never heard of monkey pox, much less the giant Gambian rat. Now these are common household terms, due to the ability of our national press to pick up a story and spread it far and wide. However, with a few exceptions, the journalists and reporters have missed the bigger storythe story of the burgeoning trade in exotic pets and the accompanying danger of introducing foreign disease pathogens into the livestock and wildlife of our country. Daily, thousands of wild animals are taken out of their natural habitat and shipped to the United States to feed our insatiable appetite for the new and different pet to amuse us in our leisure time. There are several laws and regulations on the books, at both the national and state levels, to control the import of animals from areas where diseases are endemic. However, the responsibility for administering these rules and regulations is scattered (Continued on page 15) (Continued on page 13) be able to rapidly trace animals in the case of a disease outbreak. There has always been significant effort put forth to protectAmerican agriculture from the threat of the accidental introduction of foreign animal diseases. However, the events of September 11 added the new dimension of the possibility of intentional introduction of one of these diseases, thus further emphasizing the need to be able to rapidly trace potentially exposed animals. A key to safeguarding the Nations livestock herds from the dras- tic effects of diseases such as these, and Veterinary Services is in the final stages of animal disease eradication programs that have taken many years and millions of dollars to complete. It is accepted practice to identify animals during the course of administration of these disease programs. However, even as these programs wind down, the need for identification of animals re- mains high. The events of the last sev- eral years have further emphasized how critically important it is to have animals identified so they can be traced for dis- ease purposes. The devastating out- break of foot-and-mouth disease in the United Kingdom several years ago and the rapidity with which it spread em- phasized how critical it is to be able to Update on BSE On May 20, 2003, Canada received confirmation that a single cow had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This cow came from a commercial beef herd in Northern Alberta, Canada. The herd of origin, the source herd and other herds at risk were placed under quarantine. All of the cattle in these herds have been depopulated. More (Continued on page 2) National Animal Identification Program Update Valerie E. Ragan, DVM Assistant Deputy Administrator USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services
Transcript
United States Animal Health Association Newsletter - Vol. 30, No. 2, July 2003
USAHAProtecting Animal and Public Health Since 1897
8100 Three Chopt Road, Suite 203, P.O. Box K227, Richmond, VA 23229* (804) 285-3210 office; (804) 285-3367 fax; www. usaha. org
San Diego AnnualMeeting InformationLook inside for all of the forms
necessary to register for theupcom-ingSanDiegomeeting. Please reg-ister and send payment early.Hotel accommodations informa-
tion is provided on page 3. Makeyour reservationsearly tobeassuredof a room.
MONKEY POX,GIANT RATS ANDPRAIRIE DOGS
BruceMorrison, Nebraska Game andParks Commission
Dr. Larry Williams, Nebraska StateVeterinarian
Until a few weeks ago, mostAmericanshadneverheardofmonkeypox,much less the giantGambian rat.Now these are common householdterms, due to the ability of our nationalpress to pick up a story and spread itfar and wide. However, with a fewexceptions, the journalistsandreportershavemissed thebigger story�thestoryof the burgeoning trade in exotic petsand the accompanying danger ofintroducing foreign disease pathogensinto the livestock and wildlife of ourcountry. Daily, thousands of wildanimals are taken out of their naturalhabitat andshipped to theUnitedStatesto feed our insatiable appetite for thenew and different pet to amuse us inour leisure time.There are several laws and
regulations on the books, at both thenational and state levels, to control theimport of animals from areas wherediseases are endemic. However, theresponsibility for administering theserules and regulations is scattered
(Continued on page 15)
(Continued on page 13)
be able to rapidly trace animals in thecase of a disease outbreak. There hasalways been significant effort put forthtoprotectAmericanagriculture fromthethreat of the accidental introduction offoreign animal diseases. However, theevents of September 11 added the newdimensionofthepossibilityof intentionalintroduction of one of these diseases,thus further emphasizing the need to beable to rapidly tracepotentially exposedanimals. A key to safeguarding theNation�s livestock herds from the dras-tic effects of diseases such as these, and
Veterinary Services is in the finalstages of animal disease eradicationprograms that have takenmany yearsandmillions of dollars to complete. Itis acceptedpractice to identify animalsduring the course of administration ofthesediseaseprograms.However, evenas these programs wind down, theneed for identification of animals re-mains high. The events of the last sev-eralyearshavefurtheremphasizedhowcritically important it is tohaveanimalsidentified so theycanbe traced for dis-ease purposes. The devastating out-breakof foot-and-mouthdisease in theUnitedKingdomseveralyears agoandthe rapidity with which it spread em-phasized howcritical it is to be able to Update on BSE
On May 20, 2003, Canadareceivedconfirmation thata singlecowhad tested positive for bovinespongiform encephalopathy (BSE).Thiscowcamefromacommercialbeefherd inNorthernAlberta,Canada.Theherd of origin, the source herd andother herds at risk were placed underquarantine. All of the cattle in theseherds have been depopulated. More
(Continued on page 2)
National Animal IdentificationProgram Update
Valerie E. Ragan, DVMAssistant DeputyAdministrator
USDA,APHIS, Veterinary Services
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than 2,700 cattle were involved in the depopulated herds.All have tested negative forBSE.TheU.S. government took action tominimize risks to
theUnited States. TheUnited States placedCanada underits BSE restriction guidelines and will not accept anyruminants (cattle, sheep and goats ) or ruminant productsfromCanada.This ban is consistentwith theU.S. responseto other countries with BSE. USAHA applauds the swiftaction takenby theUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture(USDA).USDAhas technical experts inCanadaworkingwith theCanadian officials to assistwith the epidemiologyof this BSE case. This will allow the United States todetermine if additional actions are necessary to protect thisnation�s cattle herd andpublic health.NoBSE has ever been found in theUnited States. The
U.S. has an aggressive BSE surveillance program. This(Continued on page 13)
The recent case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE) in Canada has simply reaffirmedwhat we alreadyhave known, that animal identification has always been animportant tool in the cattle business, especiallywith respecttomaintainingand improvinganimalhealth. Inrecentyears,many issues have pointed to the role of, and need for,improvedanimal identificationsystems. Inparticular, asweapproach the national goal of brucellosis eradication (andas a result fewer breeding females are vaccinated andidentified), it becomesmore difficult to trace brucellosisreactors. If this goes too far, we might experience whatIreland did many years ago; they ignored brucellosisbecause they thought it had been eradicated, and it wasbackwithin about 5 years. We can�t let that happen here.Inaddition, newanimal identification technologieshave
emerged,especiallyelectronic identificationsystems. Manyyears ago, the National Cattlemen�s Beef Association(NCBA) began providing leadership to help standardizethese technologies. TheAnimalIdentificationSubcommitteeof the Live CattleMarketing Committee has establishedanimal identification standards. These standardshavebeenwidely distributed and should help open up opportunitiesfor producers to use these tools that should, over time,
become less costly through increased competition andvolumeof sales. Thus,we see the foundationbeingbuilt tosupport our national animal health goals, also assistingproducers and the private sector use the emergingtechnologiesofanimal identification.Theprivate sectorwillbe able to use the same number used for the animal healthsystem,butproduction-related informationwillbecontrolledand managed by producers and the private sector, notgovernment.TheCattleHealth andWell-being committee ofNCBA
has focused on developing broad industry understandingof theneedforanimal identificationaswepursueeradicationof TB and brucellosis, as well as evaluate what systemswould aid in dealingwithBSE, foot-and-mouth disease aswell aswho should pay for such a system.As a direct result of efforts by these committees, the
NCBA has specific policies in force relating to animalidentification standards, theprivate sectoropportunities androleforanimal identificationtoenhancegenetic improvementand thepublic sector rolesandpartnerships related toanimalhealth. These policies have been the guidingprinciples forour efforts on theanimal identification front.Development of a National SystemAnimal identification in theUnited States is a complex
issue affecting all of animal agriculture. In an attempt tomove aheadon anational animal identification system, theUSDAAnimalandPlantHealth InspectionService(APHIS)funded an effort coordinated by theNational Institute forAnimalAgriculture (NIAA) to develop a draft plan for theUnited States. More than 30 federal, state government,professional and trade associations participated in thisproject. This effort produceda report inNovemberof 2002titled �Safeguarding Animal Agriculture: NationalIdentificationWorkPlan (NIWP).�NIWPwaspresented toUSAHAat their annualmeeting
held October 17-24, 2003, in St. Louis, MO. USAHApassed a resolution directing APHIS to use NIWP as aguidetofurtherdefineanationalanimal identificationsystemin theUnited States.Recently, APHIS has established a National Animal
IdentificationWorkPlanDevelopmentTeam.This teamwillbemeeting over the next severalmonths to further define anational animal identificationplan.The teamhopes tohave
(Continued on page 15)
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J. Lee Alley, DVM
Secretary�s Corner
The United StatesAnimal HealthAssociation (USAHA) and theAmerican Association of VeterinaryLaboratoryDiagnosticians (AAVLD)annualmeetingwill be heldOctober 9to 16, 2003, at theTown and CountryHotel,SanDiego,California.Thehotelregistration form is enclosedwith thisnewsletter.
Registration:Meeting registration forms are
enclosedwith this newsletter. Be sureto complete and return the annualmeeting registration form to theUSAHA Richmond office bySeptember12, 2003.Besure to includeyour registration feepaymentwithyourcredit card information or your checkmadeout toUSAHA.Anyone sendinga check fromoutside theUnitedStates,pleasemakeyourcheckpayable inU.S.dollars on anAmericanBank.
Refunds:The refund policy for those who
preregister but are unable to attend themeeting is to withhold $25 to coverprocessing and handling.Your requestfor a refund must be made in writingwithin seven (7) days after the end ofthemeeting.
Agenda:A tentative meeting agenda is
enclosed.ThePresident�s receptionanddinnerwillbeSundayevening,October12, 2003. The USAHA/AAVLD
Scientific Session will be Mondaymorning, October 13, 2003. Dr.BernardVallat,DirectorGeneral of theOffice Internationale des Epizooties(OIE) will be the keynote speaker.Other agenda topics will be chronicwasting disease (CWD), bovinespongiformencephalopathy(BSE),andexotic Newcastle disease (END) andmonkey pox. We will also have apresentation from thenewDepartmentofHomelandSecurity.Please be sure to review the agenda
because several changes have beenmade incommitteemeeting timessincelast year.
Hotel Registration:Pleasecompleteand return thehotel
registration form to thehotel as soonaspossible.You canmake reservationsonline at www.towncountry.com andyour conference code is USAHA03.You may also make reservations bycalling 1-800-772-8527.Reservationsmust bemade by September 17, 2003toguaranteea roomat themeeting rate.If USAHA/AAVLD does not fill theentirehotelblock, theorganizationswillbe liable to pay for themeeting space,which is very costly.
will be Sunday,October 12, from6:30to 8:00 am. Please see the enclosedinformationandregistrationformfor theprayer breakfast.
Upcoming Annual Meeting
TOURS...For the last few years the tours
havenotbeenwellattended;thereforewe have not planned anycommercially organized tours thisyear. For thosewhowish to visit themanyinterestingplacesinandaroundSan Diego, we suggest using theTrolley, which is located directlybehind thehotel. Afewof theplacesthat might be of interest are OldTowne, Downtown SanDiego andeven to Tijuana which are easilyaccessible on theTrolley. For thosewholiketoshop,FashionValleyMallisdirectlybehindthehotelandwithinwalkingdistance.
USAHA/AAVLDKeynote SpeakerDr. Bernard Vallat, Director
General of the Office Internationaledes Epizooties (OIE) will be ourkeynote speaker this year in SanDiego.Hewill focus his presentationon the importance of competent andcredibleveterinaryservicesfornationalandinternationalcommunities. Hewillalso address the significance of thestrong collaboration between federaland local governments as well asbetween public and private sector inthe surveillance and control of animaldiseases aswell as the certification ofanimal and animal products forinternational trade.We will also hear about the most
recent OIE activities, from adescription of the revisions of theinternational standards on foot-and-mouthdiseaseandbovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE), aswell as thenew initiatives of the OIE and theveterinary community at large onanimal production food safety andanimalwelfare.
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veterinary laboratory resources.USAHAwill provide a forumfor theseideas at our annualmeeting in SanDi-ego.As the fundingprocess has evolved
since1999 for themodernizationof theAmes facilities, so hasUSAHA�s con-cern and support for the Plum Islandfederal facilities in NewYork and theNAHLN,which is desperately neededtoprovide animal surveillance andvet-erinary laboratorydiagnosis throughoutthecountry. USAHAiscurrentlywork-ing on a special edition newsletter toupdateourmembershiponPlumIsland.Thisnewsletter is scheduled for releasethis fall at theannualmeeting.In earlyApril, USAHAresponded
to a request fromCongress regardingsupport forsupplemental fundingfor themodernizationoftheAmesfacilities.Thefollowing statement was provided toCongress:
�The agriculture communityhas known for some time that theU.S. is under extreme risk fromforeign animal disease and agri-cultural bio-terrorism. It was es-tablished in 1991, for example,that the former Soviet Unionweaponized foot-and-mouth dis-ease virus (FMDV), anthrax, Afri-can swine fever, and a wide vari-ety of other �high economic im-pact� agricultural pathogens at fac-tories in Prokrov, Vladimir,Obelinsk, and about a dozenmore bio-weapons sites in Rus-sia. We have proof positive as
federal laboratories.Themodernizationof these laboratories inAmes, Iowa, isongoing. ThenewpartnershipbetweentheUnited StatesDepartment ofAgri-culture (USDA)and theDepartmentofHomelandSecurity (DHS)withregardsto the laboratory facilities at Plum Is-land is just beginning (June1st). Estab-lishing the National Animal HealthLaboratoryNetwork (NAHLN) is thethirdcomponentof thebig three. Ames,Plum and the NAHLN with modernfacilitiesandsustainedfundingwillgoalongway in providingwhat this nationneeds for defense against diseaseprob-lemstoouranimalandhumanhealthandto protect this nation�s food supply.Animalhealthheadlinesover the last
fewyears include foot-and-mouth dis-easevirus (FMDV) in theUnitedKing-dom (UK), WestNile virus spreadingacross theUnited States, potential ter-rorist introductions of a foreign patho-genafter9-11,avianinfluenzaintheeast,bovine tuberculosis (TB) inwildlifeandnewTB outbreaks in domestic herds,chronicwastingdisease (CWD) inwilddeer and elk found inmore states, ex-otic Newcastle disease (END) in thewest and a separate END strain inTexas, and most recently a positivebovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE) cow inAlberta, Canada, mon-key pox in the midwest, a disease ofgreat concern.This long list ofmentioned animal
disease events coupled with routinelaboratorydiagnostic responsibilities inrecent years have stretched the capa-
bilities of our outdated and severely in-efficient laboratory facilities. Our sur-veillanceanddiagnosticcapabilitiesarestretched, not yet broken, but one ac-
cidental or intentional introductionof apathogen away from a laboratory di-saster, and a crippling ripple effectthroughout the nation�s economy. Vet-erinary diagnostic laboratories, bothfederal andstate,must share the respon-sibilities of laboratory infrastructure,personnel and the cost of surveillanceand diagnosis. Eventually Congressmust properly fund and sustain theselaboratory facilities,whichare the first,middle and last lineofdefense insuringthe safety of our nation�s food supplyand the continued protection of publichealth fromzoonotic disease.USAHA has taken the lead in the
nation since themiddle 90�s to rally in-dustry support for themodernizationofthe federal reference laboratories inAmes. Recently the need has dramati-cally escalated for laboratoryprepared-ness, animal health research and sur-veillance of the nation�s food animalherds. Laboratory professionals arenowtalkingaboutintegratinghumanand
USAHA has takenthe lead in the nationsince themiddle 90�s torally industry supportfor the modernizationof the federal referencelaboratories inAmes.
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diseases.(4) A dangerous lapse in the ca-pacity of theU.S. to protect thenation from an agriculturalbio-weapons attack and theinability to act as the referencelaboratory for the newly cre-ated Nation Animal HealthLaboratory Network.
(5) Failure to meet internationalfood quality standards for di-agnosis and testing essentialto American participation inthe global marketplace.�
These efforts helped secure an ad-ditional$110millionfor theAmesmod-ernization project. This additional ap-propriationwas included in the$79bil-lion FY2003Wartime SupplementalAppropriation. TheWartime Supple-mental Appropriation was initiallyloadedwithnon-military items.All butfive of the non-military appropriationswere rejected by the Congress. The$110M forAmes survived due to thelaboratory�s importancewith regards tofoodsupplyandagriculturebiosecurityand a lot of hard work by USAHAmembers.USAHAappreciates theSenate and
House appropriations leaders commit-ment inhelping tosecure thisadditional$110million. However, it is obviousthat because of escalating costs, theoriginalestimateof$430millionwillnotbe enough to complete the entireAmesmodernization project. During FY2003, $33million was secured in theOmnibusBill plus the $110million inthe defense supplemental appropria-tions. This additional$143millionwillallowUSDAtocontinue construction.Wemust secure full and final fund-
ing for the completion of this vital ani-mal andpublic health project in theFY2004 appropriations process.
eases. The current facilities areat the very end of, or past, theiruseful life span and are consid-erably worse than those of otherdeveloped countries. These fa-cilities in their current state can-not handle laboratory capacitythat is needed daily for analysisof brucellosis, tuberculosis, bo-vine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE), chronic wasting disease(CWD), West Nile virus, low-pathavian influenza (AI) and exoticNewcastle disease (END). Thelaboratory response capability fordiseases such as FMDV, anthrax,renderpest, classical or Africanswine fever, or any other intro-duced foreign disease would bemeasured in hours before thelaboratory capacity of this entirenation would be overwhelmed.�Because of this facility dete-
rioration, Congress providedfunding in FY02 for the planningand design of a new facility inAmes, and for the urgent con-struction of a high-containmentlarge animal experiment building.In FY03, $33Mwas provided fromthe omnibus bill to add to thesefacilities, and $98M is now beingconsidered in the Defensesupplemental bill for the construc-tion of laboratories.�The immediate threats if
these facilities are not built in-clude:
(1) Elevated potential for the es-cape of dangerous diseaseagents from existing facilities.
(2) Elevated risk of physical se-curity breeches.
(3) Inadequate laboratory andclinical facilities to developtechnologies essential to abio-defense against some ofthe world�s most destructive
recently as this past weekend, thatRussian weapons are, even sincethe war began, being supplied toIraq; and that the desperate re-gime of Saddam Hussein hasstrong ties to terrorists that havesworn vengeance towards theU.S. In spite of the twelve yearsof forewarning, the U.S. has notdeveloped the facilities and pro-grams that are needed to protectAmerican agriculture and the food
supply of this nation from inten-tionally introduced pathogens.�The need has never been
more important than now to havea highly effective and rapid na-tional prevention and responsecapability. Early in a disease out-break it is impossible to know ifthe outbreak is due to bio-terror-ism, a foreign animal disease in-cursion, or the resurgence of aneradicated domestic disease. Itis also usually impossible to knowif the disease is transmissiblefrom animals to man. Answers tothese questions can only comefrom investigation that dependson high-level technical expertise,safe and modern �bio-contain-ment� facilities, and specializedequipment.�The USDA-ARS/APHIS
Ames Animal Health facilities arethe largest high-containment ani-mal disease research and diag-nostic facilities in the U.S. Theyprovide the essential tools andtechniques for the diagnosis, pre-vention and control of animal dis-
Modernization of Federal Labs Critical
The need has neverbeen more importantthan now...
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Update on ENDRichard Breitmeyer, DVMCalifornia State Veterinarian
California Makes Progress in Eradicating Exotic Newcastle Disease
Thegoodnews is that the incidenceof disease has dropped dramaticallyand the exotic Newcastle disease(END) task force has started theprocess of releasing individualproperties fromquarantine andclosingsomeof its satellite offices.Whilewebelieve thatENDison its
way out, nothing is being taken forgranted. The infectious nature andhardiness of this disease is in theforefront of our minds and we do notwant to risk a reintroduction of thedisease.Releasingabackyardpropertyfrom quarantine requires that thepremises test negative for the diseaseand show no presence of the diseasewithin a one-kilometer radius.Approximately 15,000 backyardpremises remainunder quarantine.Surveillance activities within the
quarantine zone inSouthernCaliforniaare being pursued in each county toconfirm that the disease is no longerpresent,with thegoal of releasing eachcounty from the state and federalquarantines.While it is not known ex-actly when the quarantines will belifted, it is likely that somecountieswillbe released over the next fewmonths. In addition, avian health sur-veys are underway in 22 non-ENDinfected counties in central and north-ern California, which also allows forvoluntary testing.The disease has not been found in
commercial facilitiessinceMarch2003.A total of 22 commercial poultryoperations are under quarantine, butthey will soon be free to repopulateunder compliance agreements.Commercialpremiseswillbeevaluatedon an individual basis and will berequired to agree to somemonitoring
requirements such as testing theirflocks regularly forEND.Other essential components on the
eradication program require closecoordination with local lawenforcement, landfill operations, dailycommunicationwith local governmentagencies in nine counties, thedevelopment of a broad publiceducation program in at least twolanguages, paidadvertisement, fieldingan average of 70 newsmedia calls perweek, providing bi-weekly updates toapproximately 65 media outlets inCalifornia, fielding approximately450calls perweek from the public througha phone bank and coordinatingcommunitymeetingsandotheroutreachactivities to increase awareness aboutthedisease andbiosecurity and the taskforce�s efforts to eradicate it.At its peak, the task force employed
nearly2,000staff,whichwere recruitedfromapproximatelytenstateandfederalagencies. Today, the task force isoperatedwith just under 1,000 staff.The eradication program is co-led
by a joint task force of the CaliforniaDepartment of Food andAgricultureand the United States Department ofAgriculture.Since the first discovery ina chicken flock in southernCalifornia lastOctober, eight counties(and part of a ninth county) werequarantined, the exhibition and sale ofpoultry in California has beenbanned, 3.5 million birds wereeuthanized on 2,431 premises and 22commercial poultry facilities werequarantined. Eradication efforts havecost taxpayers $160million todate andresulted in international traderestrictions.
(Continued on page 11)
Bioterrorism/AgroterrorismTrain the Trainer
SessionJaneGalyon, ProgramCoordinatorCenter for Food Security and Public
Health (CFSPH)Institute for International Cooperation inAnimal Biologics (IICAB), 2160 VetMed, Iowa State University, College ofVeterinary Medicine,Ames, IA 50011
The Center for Food Security andPublicHealth at IowaStateUniversityisworkingwith theAmericanAssocia-tion of ExtensionVeterinarians to or-ganize a Train theTrainer Session onBioterrorism/Agroterrorism at theUSAHA/AAVLDmeeting in SanDi-ego. The sessionwill be held on Sat-urday, October 11th from 1-5 p.m. attheTown andCountryHotel.Participantswill learn about the im-
portanceofbioterrorism,agroterrorism,and foreign animal diseases and willreceiveacomprehensive set of trainingmaterials including a CDROMwithPowerpoint presentations, a three-ringbinderwith printouts of presentations,handouts for various audiences and awall chart. Participants are asked tocommit to giving at least six presenta-tions in their state on one of these top-ics. Bioterrorismpresentations are de-signed for four target audiences: foodanimal veterinarians, food animal pro-ducers, companion animal veterinar-ians, andcompanionanimalowners.Afifthpresentationcoversagroterrorism.If interested inattending this session
andbecominga trainer, please contact:Danelle Bickett-Weddle, DVM, at515-294-9300 or [email protected] Participation is limited to130individuals.
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Government Relations Committee MeetsRichard D.Willer, Chairman
Meeting Reports
(Continued on page 10)
Western States Livestock Health AssociationAnnual SpringMeeting
TheWesternStatesLivestockHealthAssociation and Western District ofUSAHA met March 5-6, 2003, inSparks, Nevada.As the current President of both
organizations, Dr. Kathleen Connell,Washington State Assistant StateVeterinarian,calledthemeetingtoorder.The following were represented�Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,Oregon, Oklahoma, New Mexico,Nevada,NorthDakota, SouthDakota,Montana,Texas,Wyoming,Nebraska,Washington, USDA APHIS VS,USAHA,CaliforniaAnimalHealthand
Food Safety Laboratory System andtheRockyMountainLlamaAssociation.FormerNevada StateVeterinarian
Dr. JackArmstronggaveapresentationon the history of WSLHA. Mr. BobFrost,USAHAPresident,will have theWSLHA history read into the recordat the fallUSAHAmeeting.Dr. David Thain, Nevada State
Veterinarian, entertained the group, atthe expense of Dr.AndrewClark, theOregonStateVeterinarian, by showinga filmed news report on how not todispose of a whale carcass on anOregon beach. Several copies of this
videowere given as door prizes.Dr. Steve Scott, APHIS-VS
Western Region Associate Director,reported on the Ft. Collins RegionalOffice and the impact of exoticNewcastle disease (END). There is noreport availableyet of expenses for thiseradicationeffort.Dr. Jim Logan, Wyoming State
Veterinarian, Dr. BobHillman, IdahoState Veterinarian, and Dr. ArnoldGertonson,MontanaStateVeterinarian,reported on ranch managementstrategies to avoid brucellosis on elk
(Continued on page 10)
TheGovernmentRelationsCommittee (GRC), a standing committee
of USAHA,metwithmembers of theAmerican Association of VeterinaryLaboratoryDiagnosticians (AAVLD)Board of Directors in early February.TheGRCmeets annually inWashing-ton, DC, usually in late winter, to dis-cuss issues with federal agencies andindustry representatives. In addition toall of theUSAHAelectedofficers, oth-ers in attendance included Past Presi-dent Mack Lea, Secretary J. Lee Al-ley, thepresidents fromeachof the fourregional districts,WilburAmand rep-resenting theDistrict-at-Large, and theelected officers of theAAVLD.Chair RickWiller coordinated the
two-day meeting with AAVLDPresidentTerryMcElwain. DiscussionswereheldwithAnimalandPlantHealthInspection Service (APHIS),
Agriculture Research Service (ARS),CooperativeStateResearch,Extensionand Education Service (CSREES),FoodandDrugAdministration (FDA),and many of the Washington, DCrepresentatives of national animalindustry organizations. The issuesdiscussed revolved around threemainthemes: emergency preparedness, theDepartment of Homeland Security
(DHS),and theNationalAnimalHealthLaboratory Network (NAHLN),including theARS/APHISMasterPlanfor the laboratories atAmes and PlumIsland.The 1999 estimated cost of the
Master Plan, which provides for theconsolidationandmodernizationof theAPHISfacilitiesofNationalVeterinary
Left to right: Lee Myers, Bob Frost, Rick Willer, Peter Fernandez and Rob DeHaven
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SAHA 2003 Annual MeetingDavid T. Marshall, DVM
(Continued on page 11)
The 2003 annual meeting of theSouthern Animal Health
Association (SAHA)was heldMay5-7 inAsheville, NorthCarolina, and byall accountswasconsideredacompletesuccess. Over 90 registrants traveledto the beautiful mountains of NorthCarolina for three days of informativepresentations, discussion, and diversesocialactivitieshighlighting theregion.Special guests included USAHA
ExecutiveCommitteeofficers,Mr.BobFrost (President), Dr. Don Lein(President-Elect),Dr.RickWiller (FirstVice-President),Dr. LeeMyers (ThirdVice President), Dr. J. Lee Alley(Secretary), Dr. Jones Bryan(Treasurer), and Dr.Mack Lea (2002Past President). The memberswelcomedDr.BobHillman(Texas)andDr. Don Butts (Virginia) to their newpositions and look forward to theirfuturecontributionstotheorganization�sactivities. Dr. RonDeHaven (DeputyAdministrator, USDA-APHIS-VS)and Dr. Randall Levings (Director,NVSL) represented a strong USDA-APHIS contingent present.On Monday, May 5, the meeting
was kicked off with a welcome andopening comments from NorthCarolinaCommissioner ofAgricultureMegScott Phipps. Dr.DeHaven gavea comprehensive overview of allUSDA-APHIS-VS activities andinitiatives. Dr. DeHaven�s presencewasgreatly appreciatedashis schedulehas been quite busy recently. Theremainder of the morning was spentaddressing emergency preparednessissues� fromdeveloping infrastructureandcapability toassessing threats to theagriculturalcommunity,usingFMDandENDasmodels. Dr.TomMcGinn(NCAssistant StateVeterinarian) andCol.JohnHoffman (NCDA&CSDirectorof Threats andMitigation) presentedmaterial that was both topical andthought provoking for future direction.Dr.BillHewatt (Director ofVeterinaryServices, Tyson Foods) briefedeveryone on the challenges in dealingwith the END outbreak inMexico inCalendarYear 2000.Monday evening presented the
groupwith an opportunity to tour thehistorical BiltmoreEstates, the largestprivate home in the country, built by
GeorgeVanderbilt in 1895. The visitincludedatourof thefarmingoperationson the 8,000-acre site, a visit to thewinery complete with tasting, self-guidedaccess to the250roommansion,and a wonderful meal at one of thefacility�s four fine restaurants. Agreattimewas had by all.Tuesday�s agenda focused entirely
on the National Animal HealthLaboratory Network (NAHLN). Dr.Randall Levings moderated a veryinformativesession,updating thegroupandansweringquestionsonthemission,accomplishments to date, and futureinitiatives and goals. Directors orrepresentativesfromfourofthefivepilotNAHLN laboratories in the southerndistrict provided updates on theirindividual laboratories� progress in theproject, to includeGeorgia (Dr. DorisMiller-Liebl),NorthCarolina(Dr.GeneErickson), Florida (Dr. John Crews),andLouisiana (Dr.AlmaRoy). It wasgenerally perceived that the memberstateshadamuchgreaterunderstandingof the future of the project after thesession, and their feedback and input
The NEUSAHA completed a successful annual meeting hosted by NewHampshireStateVeterinarianDr.CliffordMcGinnis inConcord,NH,April
28-30. Altogether therewere nearly 100 registrants in attendance. Attendeesenjoyed twoevenings of entertainment including adinner buffet and showat theChristaMcAuliffePlanetariumandapicnicand liveBlueGrassBandat theBeechHill FarmStand and IceCreamBarn.
The first day�s agenda included splitsessions between rabies, the RegionalDairyQualityManagementAllianceandJohne�s disease. The rabies sessionfocused on both the national andinternational control plans. Aresolutionwas passed that called for USDA tocontinue and increase appropriatedfunding to support state-approvedWildlife RabiesVaccination Programsand for completion of the NationalRabies Control Program and that the
NationalRabiesControlPlan include theadvancementof an InternationalRabiesControl Plan. It was also resolved as part of the same resolution that USDAseek procurement of new funding for continued research in program cost-effectiveness and rabies control techniques in other rabies vector species. Asecond resolution asked the Secretary ofAgriculture to seek new funding tosupport the study of wildlife-diseaseinteractions and dynamics throughcooperative programs coordinatedbetweenUSDA-Wildlife Services andVeterinaryServices.The Regional Dairy Quality
ManagementAlliancecontinued itsefforts to establish uniformstandards for state cattle health andquality assurance programsfocusing on issues of beef quality,animal welfare and core moduledevelopment.The Johne�s sessionfocused on use of fecal poolingstrategies for herd screening andfederal funding for statesprograms.The second day�s agenda included topics on Transmissible Spongiform
Encephalopathies includingscrapie,chronicwastingdiseaseandBSE,andupdateson West Nile virus, Animal Disease Emergency Management and NationalLivestock Identification. An update on low-pathAI, which continues to be avexing problem in theNortheast, resulted in an active discussion surroundinglow-pathAIpolicyand theneedforanationalprogramsuchas thatbeingproposedby theUSAHATransmissibleDiseases of PoultryCommittee. As a result, two
Blue Grass Band at the Beech Hill FarmStand and Ice Cream Barn
Attendeesenjoygoodfoodandgoodconversation
APHISEnlistingHelp inNewcastle Eradication
APHIS still calling on veterinar-ians, veterinary technicians forNewcastle disease eradication.TheVeterinary Services branch of
theDepartmentofAgriculture�sAnimalandPlantHealth InspectionService isrecruitingnonfederal veterinarians andveterinary technicians to assist in theexotic Newcastle disease eradicationprograminCalifornia.The volunteers would become
VeterinaryServiceemployees for23 to60 days to assist in the program, andwouldjointheagency�sNationalAnimalHealth Emergency Response Corps.The program�s purpose is to enrollveterinary personnel interested inserving asVS employees in the eventof an outbreak or other animal diseaseevent.Veterinary students can qualify as
veterinarytechniciansandbemobilized.Some 140 non-federal veterinarianshaveworked on this outbreak to date,and 40 veterinary students will bedeployed for 30- and60-day rotations,once school is out.Theworkmay include examining
flocks for clinical signs of disease,conductingpostmortemexaminations,collecting specimens, collectingepidemiological information,euthanatizing diseased animals,supervising disposal of animalcarcasses, and inspecting markets,trucks, and other vehicles.In the past two years, veterinary
professionals enrolled in this programhaveassisted theUnitedKingdomwithits foot-and-mouth disease outbreakandVirginiawith the low-pathogenicavian influenzacontrolprogram.This is an excellent opportunity for
foreign animal disease and emergencymanagement training in the field. Thesalary ranges from GS9 to GS11,dependingonqualifications.VeterinaryServices provides overtime pay, all
(Continued on page 10)
10
Government Relations Committee Report(Continued from page 7)
Services Laboratories (NVSL) andCenter forVeterinaryBiologics and theNational Animal Disease Center(NADC) facility of ARS, was $379million. While the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA)requested $306M in their �03 budget,neither the �03 or the �04 President�sbudget contained any funding for theMaster Plan.At the time of the GRC meeting,
Congress had not passed the USDA�03 budget. ARS and APHISadministrators reported to thegroupthat
in spite of nothing being requested bythe President in these two budgets, thefunding to date was �ahead ofschedule.� The�03agencyomnibusbill,when finally passed (after the GRCmeeting), had anadded$33million forthe Master Plan. The �03 Dept. ofDefense supplemental appropriationadded another $110million, thanks inlarge part to President Frost�s short-notice efforts. As it stands today,funding is still short and the final costincreases with each day�s delay.Available fundinghas provided for thedesign andplanning, andwill allow forthe relocationof the�stripmall� labsbyNovember 1, 2003, and the start of theconstructionof theBL3building.The transfer of theARSandAPHIS
facilities onPlum Island to theDepart-mentofHomelandSecurity(DHS)gen-
(Continued on page 14)
feedinggroundareasofWyoming. Theintentof the�Tri-StateEfforts toPreventBrucellosis in Cattle fromBison andElk� is to ensure cattle from the threestates are not infectedwith brucellosis.The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau ofLand Management, USDA-APHISandtheGreaterYellowstoneBrucellosisCommittee are all involved.Officialsareconsideringopeningup
bisonmigration routes, which wouldgive the bison access to Colorado andUtah. Populationmanagement is alsobeing looked at, although this is not apopular response to the problem. AnApril 2003 meeting in Jackson,Wyoming,will serve to develop a planto eliminate brucellosis in theGreaterYellowstone area.Dr.Armstrong shared a story about
his dad, his dad�s friend,Charlie, and abuffalo hunt. Mr. Armstrong had acontract to feed 30 bison on a bisonranch. After �a few drinks� one day,the two men went to the ranch andasked permission to hunt a bull bison.Permissionwasgivenandoff theywenton their horseswith bows and arrows,the arrows held in their teeth. WhenCharliepulled thearrowfromhismouthto fire at the bull, his false teeth camewith it andwent flying. Subsequently,Jack�s dad and now toothless Charliehad tohunt throughseveral feetof snowto find themissing teeth. Thatwas theirlast attempt at buffalohunting.Dr. Connell, Dr.Willer, Mr. Frost,
Dr. Don Lein, Professor Emeritus atCornell University, and Dr. AlexArdans, Director of the California
WSLHAMeeting(Continued from page 7)
(Continued on page 11)
NEUSAHAMeeting(Continued from page 9)
resolutions were passed addressinglow-path AI. One, that the USDAresearch methods of individual birdidentificationwhichincludeappropriatetrace-back capabilities to the flock oforigin as a critical component of theproposed program, and two, that theUSDAdevelopanational low-pathH5andH7 control program that includesthe use of vaccine as a tool to controlthe disease without jeopardizing ourpoultry exportmarket.The third and final day included
presentations from the HolsteinAssociation on the FAIR cattle IDprogram and fromGlobal Vetlink onelectronichealthcertification.The business meeting closed with
the election of Dr. DonHoenig, StateVeterinarian fromMaine, as the newNEUSAHA President. Dr. Hoenigreplaces outgoing President Dr. ToddJohnson,whohashadtostepdownafterthe first year of his term because of achange in employment. We lookforward to seeing everyone at the nextannualmeetingtentativelyscheduledforApril 26-28, 2004, in beautifulBurlington,Vermont.
(Continued from page 9)
travel expenses, anddaily living costs.Forms can be downloaded from
www.aphis.usda.gov/mpls/library/forms/forms.html by clicking on�Operation Forms� and selecting OF612 and OF 306. Where the OF 612calls for announcement number,writeEmergency VMO. Fax or mailcompleted forms and a copy of yourveterinary diplomaandother pertinentinformation to USDA, APHIS,MinneapolisBusiness Site, 100 6th St.,Suite510,Minneapolis,MN55403; fax(612) 370-2209.Direct additional questions to Gordon
Left to right: Jones Bryan, J. Lee Alley,Bret Marsh and Bruce Akey.
11
presented themost recent draft of the�Southern Region MOU to ControlTSA.� The membership approved aResolution,modeledafter a similaronefrom the Southern Plant Board, to beforwarded to theUSDAandNASDA,as well as the USAHA for referral tothe appropriate committee at thenationalmeeting.After presentation of the financial
reportbyDr.Marshall, theNominationsCommittee,chairedbyDr.JonesBryan,presented the followingslateofofficersfor consideration:
2004President:Dr.RonWilson,Tennessee
2004Vice President:Dr.MaxwellLea,LouisianaSecretary/Treasurer:Dr.DavidMarshall,NorthCarolinaIndustry Representatives to theUSAHABoard ofDirectors:Dr. BobGood (Arkansas) andMr.WayneGodwin (Florida)
All candidates were seconded andunanimouslyapproved.NewpresidentRonWilson thanked
the group and invited them to the 2004annual SAHA meeting, tentativelyscheduled to be held in Chattanooga,Tennessee.The2003SAHAmeetingreaffirmed
the strengthof theorganization and thebenefits of regional collaborationbetween state, federal, university, andindustrypartnerships.
SAHA 2003 Meeting(Continued from page 8)
END was also found in backyardflocks inTexas, Nevada andArizona.Nevada had a total of 138 infectedpremises, Arizona had 4 infectedpremises andTexas had 40. END hasbeeneradicated inNevadaandArizonaand their quarantines have been lifted.Texas is expected to be released fromits quarantine soon.
Update on END(Continued from page 6)
would be used to chart future actions.Tuesday evening�s entertainment
consistedofabeautifulbus ride throughthe Blue Ridge Mountains to a steakdinner hostedby theHaywoodCountyCattlemen�sAssociation,completewithlocalbluegrassmusic, fare that includedsmoked trout and trout caviar, and �airguitar� entertainment by Dr. Willer.We�re thankful that Rick is socompetent in his day job, as hewouldhaveahard timemaking it in themusicbusiness.Wednesday�s session included
addresses fromMr. Bob Frost andDr.RickWiller onUSAHAdirectives andinitiatives, including a report on theGovernmentalRelationsCommittee�strip toWashington, DC, in February.Dr. Don Lein provided a USAHAannual meeting agenda update, andAPHIS-VSEasternRegionalDirectorDr.BillBuischprovidedhisperspectiveon issuesof importance. Theattendeesalso heard from Mr. Tim O�Neill(USDA,APHIS-VSProgramAnalyst)and Ms. Amelita Facchiano(GlovalVetLink) as to progressmadeand future strategies toward theimplementation of the InterstateCertificate of Veterinary Inspection(ICVI), a joint project betweenUSDA-APHIS-VSandGlobalVetLink.After an update on the elk
reintroduction project in the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park byWildlifeBiologistKimDelozier,Dr.RonWilson(TN)moderatedadiscussionondevelopment of an encompassingsouthern regional Equine Passportdocument. Ron presented summaryinformation fromasurveyofallSAHAmember states, solicited input, andwillproceedwith thedevelopmentofadraftdocument to be forwarded tomembersfor reviewprior to theSAHAbreakfastinSanDiego.Dr.LeeMyers (GA) ledadiscussion
on Tropical Soda Apple (TSA), and
WSLHAMeeting(Continued from page 10)
Animal Health and Food SafetyLaboratory System, gave a report onthe USAHA Government RelationsCommittee meeting held inWashington,DC, in February.During the February meeting,
AAVLD and USAHA officers andrepresentatives met with FDA,Cooperative State Research,Education and Extension Service,USDA-APHIS andnational livestockindustry representatives. Discussionsfocused on Plum Island, END,emergencymanagementandhomelandsecurity. Concern was expressedabout the shift of agencies into theDepartment of Homeland Security,with the potential for more emphasisonbioterrorismand lesson foreignandemerginganimaldiseases.Dr.RichardBreitmeyer,California
State Veterinarian, Dr. Paul Ugstad,California/NevadaAVIC, Dr. ThainandDr.Willer gaveENDupdates. Mr.MikeDondero, Incident Commander2nd team, Las Vegas, Nevada, gave apresentationon the incident commandsystem and how to avoid problemwswhen dealingwith local governmententities. The first day�s sessionconcludedwithDr. Randall Levings,Director, NVSL,who spoke on rapiddiagnosis of END via moleculardiagnostics.The second day�s session started
with an overviewofTB inCalifornia,NewMexico,MichiganandTexas. Dr.Bob Meyer, APHIS-VS WesternRegionTBEpidemiologist, discussedTB cases found at slaughter andpossible changes in the TB status ofCalifornia and New Mexico. Dr.Meyer also gave a brief update oninfecteddairyherds inCalifornia,NewMexico and Michigan. Michigan
(Continued on page 12)
12
Two parasites, Theileria equi andB. caballi, causepiroplasmosis, but, atpresent, only horses infectedwith B.caballi can be successfully treated.B.caballi issometimesimpossible toclearfromahorse, and the treatment,whichis fairly toxic, can be damaging to thehorse, Dr. Isaac said.The United States is considered
free of the disease because there is noevidence of tick transmission of thedisease,and therehavebeennoclinicalcasesof thedisease in thecountry.TheUSDA, however, can�t rely on this.�In someareas, like southernTexas
andsouthernFlorida, localpopulationsof native ticks have the potential,experimentally in the laboratory, totransmit the disease agent,�Dr. Isaacsaid. �But there is no evidence thatthese ticks are infected and transmitthe disease.�
Vets Told to beVigilantWith the United States on
heightened alert for terrorist attacks,veterinarians have been asked toincreasesurveillanceforforeignanimaldisease. Veterinarians need to beparticularlyawareofanyindicationthatcould signal the existence of a highlycontagiousdiseaseoranyotherunusualor unexplained adverse animal healthevent.Veterinarians can turn to several
sources for helpful information. TheDepartmentofAgriculture�sVeterinaryServiceshas issuedacommunicationsplan foranimal-specific threats,whichcan be read at www.avma.org/press/biosecurity/usda.vs.commubications
USDARequires New TestforTickborne Horse Disease
In May, the Department ofAgriculture�sAnimal andPlantHealthInspection Service started requiringhorses imported into theUnitedStatesfromother countries to undergo anewtest for piroplasmosis�theCELISA.The USDA is requiring the new testbecause it has a greater likelihood ofdetecting thediseaseagent than theoldtest.�Thenew test ismore sensitive and
more specific,� saidDr. Freeda Isaac,aUSDA-APHIS-VSstaff veterinarianwho spoke about the CELISA at therecent Animal TransportationAssociationconference inWashington,D.C. She went on to explain that theCELISAshould reduce the risk of notdetecting false-positive horses andprovidegreaterconfidence indetectingthe true disease status of horses beingimported into the country. Before theCELISA test, veterinariansperformedacomplement fixation test todeterminea horse�s piroplasmosis status.According to theOffice InternationaldesEpizooties, equinepiroplasmosis isendemic inSouthandCentralAmerica,theCaribbean,Africa, theMiddleEast,andEasternandSouthernEurope.TheUnitedStates is currently deemed freeof clinical disease, but remains at riskofintroductionfrominternationalanimaltrading and equestrian sports, whereinfected and noninfected animalsmingle. While the disease doesn�tusually cause severe health problemsin animals that are routinely exposedto it, some infectedAmerican horsescan become very ill or die. Signs caninclude fever, anemia, jaundicedmucous membranes, swollenabdomens, constipations, colic, andlaboredbreathing.
WSLHAMeeting(Continued from page 11)
submitted a regionalization request tomake thenorthern sectionof theLowerPeninsulaaregionofhigherrisk.Furtherdiscussion included development andimplementation of a nationalcommunicationandeducation strategyto advise stakeholders of emergingrisks, reexaminationof import policiesonhigher riskMexicanfeedercattleandcontinued support of on-going effortsincontrollingTBinMichiganwildlife.The group passed two resolutions,
one dealing with the veterinaryaccreditation program, the other oneradicationofbrucellosis in theGreaterYellowstone area.To improve service and
communicationwithNVSL,WSLHAproposeda12-member advisorygroupfor the laboratorynetwork. Eachregioncould appoint an AVIC, StateVeterinarian or livestock healthassociationmemberandanAAVLDlabdirector.New officers were elected.
ReplacingDr. Connell as President isMr. JohnWortman,NewMexico. Dr.Wayne Cunningham, Colorado, waselectedVice-President. Dr. Cal Lum,Hawaii, and Mr. Bill Sauble, NewMexico,Allied Industry representativesfrom theWesternDistrict,will serve asRegionalRepresentatives toUSAHA.The next meeting ofWSLHA and
theWesternDistrict ofUSAHAwill beheld in conjunctionwith theUSAHAmeeting inSanDiego.
plan030318.pdf. The USDA has alsopreparedinformationoutliningsteps thatcan be taken to prevent or respond to afood supply threat, atwww.usda.gov/homelandsecurity/homeland.html.The EmergencyOperations Center oftheDepartmentofAgriculture�sAnimalandPlantHealth InspectionServicehasalendinglibraryofforeignanimaldiseasereference materials; call (800) 601-9327.
13
other potential emergingdiseases, is tohave anational plan inplace to identifylivestock. Recognition of this need isbeingdemonstrated through theunitedeffort of several segments of the live-stock industry, theU.S.Department ofAgriculture, and state animalhealthof-ficials.In 2002, the National Institute for
AnimalAgriculture(NIAA)coordinatedthe actions of the National FoodAni-mal IdentificationTaskForce, a unitedeffortofindustryandgovernment,whichsubsequently developed a NationalIdentificationWorkPlan (NIWP).The NIWP was accepted by
USAHA at the 2002 annual meetingwith a resolution calling forUSDA toestablishanIdentificationDevelopmentTeamthatwoulduse thisplanasaguidetodevelopanational animal identifica-tion program and system that will en-hance animal diseasemonitoring, sur-veillance, control anderadication in theUnited States.APHISestablishedaNational Iden-
tificationDevelopmentTeamcomposedof a steering committee and five sub-committees totaling nearly 100mem-bers and representing over 70 industrystakeholder organizations. The sub-committees are subject oriented cov-ering the issuesofcommunication, tran-sition, standards, information technol-ogy, and governance. The goal is tohonor theUSAHA resolution and de-velopaplan for anational systemusingthe NIWP as a guide, and to presentthat plan at the2003USAHAmeeting,after review by industry and othergroups.Development of the plan is nowon
a steadycourse, and the entireNationalIdentification Development Team ismeeting July 1-2 to further acceleratetheprocess. Timelinesandaction itemsare being reviewed in light of the in-creased awareness and sense of ur-gency to see if the process can be ac-celeratedwithoutsacrificingquality.The
objective is to ensure theUnitedStatesdevelops an efficient andcost effectiveanimal identification system that ulti-matelyallowsfor traceabilityfordiseasepurposes within a 48 hour time frameand supports the financial viability ofanimalagriculture.It is the intentof theAnimal Identifi-
cationDevelopmentTeamtomake thisprocess as transparent as possible. Awebsite isunderdevelopmentwhereallthe activities of the steering committeeand subcommittees will be able to beviewed. Visitors to the website willhave the opportunity to provide com-ments and suggestions, so that eventhough individualsmay not be on oneof the subcommittees, they may pro-videvaluable input.Successful implementationof a na-
tional animal identification systemwillrequireamutualunderstandingandrec-onciliation of public and private goalsand objectives.Maintaining the healthof the U.S. herd is themost urgent is-sue for both industry andanimal healthofficials. Working together to developaviableanimalidentificationsystemthathas components that will both benefitthe producer aswell as allow for trace-ability of animals in case of a diseaseoutbreak will go a long way towardsensuring that thehealthof theU.S.herdismaintained.
NationalAnimal Identification ProgramUpdate(Continued from page 1)
(Continued from page 2)
Animal Identification:Where are we heading?
their basic framework effort completebyJulyof2003andout for reviewwiththe intention of finalizing the plan forpresentation toUSAHAbyOctober of2003.Key ConceptsThere isbroadagreement frombeef
producers, andsolid scientificevidencethat there needs to be some level and
frequency of mandatory animalidentification toprotectand improve thehealth of theU.S. cattle herd, and as aresult, ensure our globalcompetitiveness. Insomeinstances, thismay require only animals enteringinterstate commerce that will becomepart of the breeding herdmay need tobe identified. Inother cases, statesmayinstitute a mandatory animalidentification system to aid in specificdisease eradication efforts intrastate.The development of a standardizedsystemwith federal and state supportfor the infrastructure and producercooperation is important to our effortsto control and eradicate animaldiseases.APHIShas the legislative authority
to require animal identification forspecificdiseasecontrol anderadicationpurposes for animals entering interstatecommerce. APHIS does not have theauthority to regulate the intrastatemovementor identificationof animals.However,suchauthorityresideswiththestates and their animal healthinfrastructure. In some states, brandsarea required�premises� identificationsystem that aids in animal disease andownership issues.Disease control and eradication in
theUnitedStates has andwill remain aprocess focused on a partnershipbetween the federal, state and localgovernments and producers. In thisregard,NCBAhasworkedcloselywithAPHIS andUSAHA tomove forwardonanationalanimalidentificationsystemplan.NCBAwill continue tomonitor the
development of this national plan andkeepbeefproducers, andanimalhealthprofessionals awareof theprogress thegroup ismaking. If youhaveanyques-tions or concerns regarding our posi-tions, please contact Gary Weber bycalling (202) 347-0228 or by sendingan e-mail to [email protected].
14
erated considerable discussion. At thetime of the GRCmeeting, the facilitywas slated to be transferred to theDe-partment ofHomeland SecurityDivi-sionofScienceandTechnologyonJune1. The original �plan� for Plum Islandwas that ARS and APHIS would be�tenants� onDHSproperty. While theoutcome is still up in the air, it was re-vealedduring themeeting that one-halfof theARS programmoney for PlumIslandwouldbemoved toDHS, inpartto force dialog between USDA andDHS. At the timeof theGRCmeeting,an interagency agreement was beingdeveloped to outline howUSDA andDHSwould cooperate in the oversightof activities onPlumIsland.In multiple venues, the group dis-
cussed the state of this nation�s emer-gency preparedness. This was an im-portant component of the Safeguard-ingReviewofAPHISaccountingfor48outof152ofthefinalrecommendations.APHISdiscussed their transition tous-ing the incidentcommandsystemforananimalhealthemergencyresponse, firstused inmodified format in the low-pathavianinfluenza(AI)outbreakinVirginiain2001.Theyarealsousingotheragen-cieswithinUSDA, including theU.S.Forest Service, to assistwith the exoticNewcastle disease (END) response inCalifornia. TheAssociateDeputyAd-ministrator,EmergencyPrograms, hadbeen recently named and was due tostartwork soon. In addition, theEmer-gencyManagementOperationsCenter
(EMOC)wasscheduled foropeningonMarch1, 2003. Finally,while it lookedlike therewould not be a another size-ableamountofmoneyavailable tostatesto improve their surveillanceandemer-gencyresponsecapability, somemoneymaybecomeavailabledirectly throughUSDA funding for Emergency Pro-grams.TheNationalAnimalHealthLabo-
ratory Network is a critical issue forUSAHAandAAVLD. Initial fundingin �02 for the networkwas $15millionfrom the Department of Defensesupplemental bill. It was used for the�start-up� of 12 pilot laboratories.Moneywas to be used for renovationincluding upgrading lab facilities �to-ward�BL3 capability, training in for-eign animal diseases diagnostics, pur-chase of equipment for rapid testing,development of communications sys-tems including databases, and for per-sonnel.APHIS andARSdiscussed a steer-
ing committee established for the labo-ratory network. The Committee ischarged with developing polices andprocedures for the network, concen-trating on eight OIE list A diseases.Until a full-time coordinator for thesteering committee could be named,DaveKinkerwouldserveas the interimcoordinator. The steeringcommittee iscomposed of representatives fromAPHIS,CSREES,AAVLD,pilot labs,othernon-pilot labs, stateveterinarians,Center forDiseaseControl (CDC), andstate public health laboratorydirectors.In addition, an information technologysubcommittee was formed to addressintegration of communications to andfrom the Network labs. The networkwill integratewith the LaboratoryRe-portingNetwork ofCDCandpossiblywith eLexNet, the Food Safety Net-work of FDAandFoodSafety Inspec-tion Service (FSIS).APHIS stated during the GRC
Government Relations Committee Report(Continued from page 10)
(Continued on page 15)
Peter Fernandez, Ron DeHaven
OIE MeetingDonald H. LeinPresident-Elect
The71stmeetingof theGeneralSes-sion of the OIE had over 500 partici-pants representing140of the164coun-tries or territories that aremembers, 4non-memberobservercountriesand25regionalandinternationalorganizations.Organizations included the WorldHealthOrganization (WHO), the PanAmerican Health Organization(PAHO), the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO), the International EquestrianFederation (FEI), theWorldVeterinaryCongress (WVC), and several others.Inmanyways themembership remindsme of theUSAHA.Excellent leadershipanddiplomacy
wasdemonstratedby theDirectorGen-eral,Dr.B.Vallat; thePresident,Dr.R.Maribelli (Italy); Dr.AlexThiermann(USA), President of the InternationalAnimalHealthCodeCommission; andthe OIE staff in running the session.Consensuswas reachedon several im-portant issues and a course for severalfuture issues tomeet theworld animalhealth and trading issues. New issuesinclude animalwelfare, antimicrobialconcerns, zoonotic diseases, and foodsafety as well as animal diseases andregionalization. Aparticularly impor-tantannouncementwasdelivered to theGeneral Session by Dr. Brian Evan,ChiefVeterinaryOfficer of the Cana-dianFoodInspectionAgency,about thefirstCanadiancowwithconfirmedBSE.TheU.S. Delegation attending the
meeting consisted of Dr. PeterFernandez,AssociateAdministrator ofUSDA/APHISand theofficialdelegateof theOIE;Dr.RonDeHaven,DeputyAdministrator,APHISVeterinarySer-vices;Dr.AlexThiermann,Coordina-torof InternationalOrganizationActivi-ties,APHISInternationalServices; andDr.MichaelDavid,Director, SanitaryInternationalStandardsTeam,V.S. Dr.TerryMcElwain, President,American
(Continued on page 16)
15
meeting that it intends for network labsnot only to provide �surge capacity� inthe event of a foreign animal diseaseoutbreak, but also to improve the na-
Martin has been detailed to focus onfieldvalidation involvinglabs in thenet-work. APolymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) for classical swine fever (CSF)should be released to network labs bytheendof2003and for foot-and-mouthdisease (FMD)bymid2004. Althoughthere is no current funding for expan-sion of the network, the plan is to ex-pand tootherAAVLDanimal diagnos-tic labs and other selected non-accred-ited labswhen funding is available.Theworking relationship between
APHIS andARScontinues to solidify.The two agenciesmet in late �02 to setresearch priorities to meet APHIS�needs. Regularmeetings are plannedand likelywill coincidewith theUSDAbudget cycle. Currently, APHIS isworking on a direct connection be-tweenARS researcher toAPHIS staffprogramperson inorder toexpedite theinteraction.ARS is focusing onTaqMan PCR
technology for research on rapid test-ing for FAD�s. They received a $18.3million special appropriation for real-time PCRdevelopment for both plantand animal testing. Of that amount, $6million is earmarked for animal testingresearch focusing onAI, CSF, FMD,and END. APHIS/ARS are trying tolead theOffice Internationale desEpi-zooties (OIE) in developingvalidation
standards.As you know, HR 5005 provided
for the formation of theDepartment ofHomeland Securitywithin 60 days ofthe bill�s passage. It consolidated 22agencieswith170,000employees. Theagency is divided into four functionaldivisions: Borders andTransportationSecurity (including Plant ProtectionQuarantine (PPQ)),EmergencyPrepa-rationandResponse (includingFederalEmergencyManagementAdministra-tion(FEMA)),InformationAnalysisandInfrastructure Protection, and Scienceand Technology, the division that in-cludesPlumIsland.BillLyerlyfromtheOfficeofHome-
landSecuritymetwith theGRC todis-cuss the new Department. He statedthat DHSwas very interested in agri-culture-related research and in fact hasformed aBio-defenseResearchCoor-dinating Committee. DHSwould re-imburse USDA for these types ofprojects. According to Lyerly, therewere nomajor changes planned for theoperationofPlumIslandduring the firstyear. It became evident that relocationof the �mission� of Plum Island to themainlandmayhave to be considered.TheGRCmet during a snowstorm
with the CSREES in spite of having askeletonstaff thatday. CSREESworksthroughlandgrantuniversities toenable
Government RelationsCommittee Report
(Continued from page 14)
surveillance program tested 19,990cattle during fiscal year 2002 withnegative results. TheUnitedStates hasestablished science-based firewalls toprotect the United States from thisdisease. These protective measuresinclude restricting the importation ofruminants such as cattle, sheep andgoats, and ruminant products fromcountries that have or are consideredto be a risk for BSE, prohibit thefeeding of renderedmammal productsto cattle and other ruminants, and hasanactive surveillanceprogram.OnTuesday, June 3, 2003, Canada
reported toUSDA�sAnimal and PlantHealth Inspectionservice (APHIS) thatfive bulls from one of the potentialsource herds were sold to aMontanaproducer. Montana�s investigationreveals that these bulls wereslaughtered. USDA believes it isunlikely thatanyof thebullswereaBSErisk. The bulls were slaughtered afterthefeedban,ensuring that theseanimals
BSE Update(Continued from page 2)
throughout the federal bureaucracy.USDA-APHIS controls livestockimports, the Fish andWildlife Servicechecks for threatened and endangeredspecies while the CDC is concernedabout possible human diseases.However, no entity is currentlyresponsible for checking all imports ofanimals for diseases as they come intotheUnitedStates. Additionally, severaldiseases that are local in other parts ofthe world are not of concern to mostport inspectors and agencies checkingthe import of exoticpets, due toalready
Monkey Pox(Continued from page 1)
overburdened staff. Consequently,from time to time, we have a foreigndisease such amonkeypox showup inNorthAmericaandcitizensget sickandmay even be in danger of a life-threateningdisease.TheUSAHA, in concertwith sister
organizations like theWildlifeDiseaseAssociation and theWildlife Society,should take the lead inreviewingimportrestrictions and recommendingactionsthat will address loopholes in the law,the unnecessary exposure of nativeanimals to exotic diseases and theenforcement of laws already on thebooks. We also need towork towardsadequate staff at all points of entry intotheUnited States to insure that properinspections andquarantines are carriedoutHowmany people have to get sick
or die before action is taken?
(Continued on page 16)
(Continued on page 16)
George Teagarden,Bobby Accord
16
...as we say goodby to old friends who have passedaway.Dr. DonaldR.Bridgewater�Northglenn,CO�RetiredUSDA,APHIS,VS�July29, 2002
Dr. John F.Quinn�Portland,MI�October 12, 2002�Former StateVeterinarianand President ofUSAHA in 1968
Dr. MichaelT. Staton, Sr.�Cheyenne,WY�USDA,APHIS,VS�November 19,2002
Dr. Gaylord E.McKissick�Bridgewater, NJ�Consultant �December 15, 2002Dr. Arnold C. Taft�Bowie,MD�USDA,APHIS,VS�December 30, 2002Dr. Morris S. Cover�Chestertown,MD�January 28, 2003�LifeMember andFormerChair of theCommittee on Feed Safety
Mr. JohnB.Armstrong�SanAntonio,TX�February 20, 2003�LifeMember andFormerChair of theCommittee onBrucellosis
Welcome new State VeterinariansDr. BobGerlach -AlaskaDr. Paul Norris -ArkansasDr. Clarence Siroky - IdahoDr. PhyllisCassano -Maryland
Dr. Bradly LeaMaster - OregonDr.BobHillman -TexasDr. Joe Starcher -WestVirginiaDr.DonButts,Virginia
did not enter the animal food chain.So far theCanadian investigation is
confirming that this maywell end upbeing just one animal from one herd.BSEwill be an important agenda topicfor the USAHA/AAVLD annualmeeting. Dr. Brian R. Evans, ChiefVeterinary Officer, Canadian FoodInspectionAgencywillbediscussinghiscountry�sexperienceswithBSEduringthe JointScientificSessiononMondaymorning, October 12, 2003.
BSE Update(Continued from page 15)
Names in the News
researchandeducation. Theyoversawthe$15millionDepartmentofDefensefunds for establishing theNAHLN. Ofthe $16 million authorized for theCSREES �Homeland SecurityProgram,� only $8 million wasearmarked for maintaining existingnetwork labs (both plant and animal)and $3.5 million for animal-relatedresearch. This compares to $117million for bio-terrorism researchrelated to food safety. CSREESconfirmed thedesire to expandbeyondthe 12pilot animal diagnostic labs andthe possibility that the network labsmightprovideback-upforhumanhealthand food security emergencies.TheGRChadaworking lunchwith
anumberofWashingtonrepresentativesof animal industry organizations. The�Animal Agriculture Coalition�represents16majorcommoditygroupsplus anumberofother industry-relatedorganizations. They, too, wereconcerned about the state of thisnation�s emergency preparedness,emphasized the need for a nationalidentification program, andwere verysupportiveof theprogress thathadbeenmadewith theNAHLN.In summary, theGRCandAAVLD
participants actively engaged ourfederal stakeholders this past Februaryin discussions that are of great concernto each of us as USAHA members.While resolution of the issues remainselusive, at a minimum the meetingreinforced the commitment thatUSAHA, a dues-based voluntaryorganization,hasinaddressingthetoughissues head on for the benefit of thisnation�s animal industries. Mysincerethanks go to AAVLD President Dr.TerryMcElwain for his assistance inensuringasuccessfulmeetingandto theAAVLD board for their activeparticipation.
Government RelationsCommittee Report(Continued from page 15)
Be Sure toRegister Early
for theSan Diego
AnnualMeeting!!
Association ofVeterinaryLaboratoryDiagnosticians (AAVLD); Dr. LyleVogel,DirectorofScientificActivities,AmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssocia-tion (AVMA); andmyself, DonLein,President-elect,USAHA,were invitedguests andpart of theU.S.Delegationto act as observers and represent theU.S. livestock industry.Mr.WilliamHawks,Under Secre-
tary,Marketing and Regulatory Pro-grams, USDA, was a special invitedguest and delivered a speech at theopening ceremonies of the GeneralSession stressing the importance of�working together� to accomplish theworld animal health controls and en-hanceworld tradeof livestockandtheirproducts.
OIE Meeting(Continued from page 14)
CONTACT INFOEditor: Bret D. Marsh, DVM
Indiana State VeterinarianProduction Staff:
Pat CampbellArticles and feedback may be submitted viaemail to: [email protected]
