Toll–Free Number to Expand BSE Surveillance Effort

Veterinary Services

June 8, 2004

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced a toll–free number to report high–risk cattle in the United States. The toll–free number for the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance program is 1–866–536–7593.

As part of its expanded BSE surveillance effort, APHIS will work closely with cattle producers,
renderers, veterinarians, and others to obtain samples from high–risk cattle targeted in this program. Toll–free callers reporting high–risk cattle will connect with a local APHIS office that will provide additional information. USDA will help defray costs incurred by industries participating in the surveillance program for such items as transportation, disposal and storage, and tested carcasses.

APHIS’ enhanced BSE surveillance effort aims to test as many high–risk cattle as possible within the next 12–18 months. High–risk animals include:

Non–ambulatory cattle;
Cattle exhibiting signs of a central nervous system disorder;
Cattle exhibiting other signs that can be associated with BSE, such as emaciation or injury; and
Dead cattle.

Under this enhanced program, sampling approximately 268,000 animals would detect BSE at a rate of 1 positive in 10 million adult cattle with a 99 percent confidence level.

Additional information about the BSE surveillance plan is at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bseenhan_surv/bse-enh_surv.html.

Note to Stakeholders: For additional information on this topic, contact Andrea McNally at (202) 720–2511 or andrea.c.mcnally@aphis.usda.gov.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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