NAHSS Activity Updates, September 2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) recently provided expertise on infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus surveillance in Chile. National Surveillance Unit veterinary epidemiologist Lori Gustafson was among experts from the United States, Chile, Norway, and Scotland who participated in an international conference on ISA virus at the University Austral of Chile. She also met with producers, students, and scientists and discussed specific disease control strategies. A series of recent ISA virus outbreaks on Atlantic salmon farms in Chile led to requests for international epidemiologic assistance in surveillance and control.
APHIS-VS to Implement Comprehensive Scrapie Surveillance
Beginning in fiscal year 2009, APHIS-VS will implement a comprehensive national scrapie surveillance plan that enhances existing surveillance to detect cases of scrapie. The plan uses sheep population demographics to establish sampling targets for each State and revises targeting criteria for sampling at slaughter establishments. These surveillance efforts will strengthen APHIS’ commitment to eradicate scrapie, which is a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. The plan can be found online at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/sheep/ .
National Animal Health Steering Committees Meet
In August, both the National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) and the National Animal Health Reporting System (NAHRS) steering committees held face-to-face meetings in Colorado. The NAHSS steering committee reviewed its charge and function, addressed issues of strengthening collaboration with NAHSS stakeholders, and shared views on constituents’ surveillance priorities. The NAHRS committee discussions centered on responding to changes from the May 2008 OIE General Session, information technology advances, expanding NAHRS to include all OIE aquaculture reportable diseases, reviewing quantitative equine infectious anemia data collection, and continued expansion to collect summary level quantitative data where national information gaps exist.