NAHSS Activity Updates, July 2009
OIE producing surveillance handbook
Veterinary Services’ Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health is assisting the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in producing a handbook on terrestrial animal health surveillance. The OIE was requested by its members to produce the handbook for designing, implementing, and evaluating surveillance systems for diseases, infections, and residues affecting livestock and wildlife within each member-country. This handbook is intended to provide pragmatic guidance for the planning, implementation, and interpretation of efficient disease surveillance systems and credible information for decisionmaking.
Vesicular stomatitis, equine arboviral Web reporting begins
Web-based reporting of the current vesicular stomatitis situation and equine cases of arboviral diseases for the 2009 season on ArboNet has begun. ArboNet is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention electronic-based surveillance and reporting system used to track and report arboviral activity. ArboNet captures laboratory-confirmed positive cases in humans, horses, other mammals, birds, and mosquitoes across the United States. Equine case finding varies by State, but primarily relies on passive reporting from private practitioners and diagnostic submissions. In some States, reporting is mandatory. The Web site www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine provides current surveillance information related to the vesicular stomatitis situation, including current and past situation reports, current and cumulative maps, background information, and links to additional information about submitting samples, animal movement, and State Web sites. The site also provides historical information on the vesicular stomatitis outbreaks in the United States in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
Meeting focuses on future of national TB program
The United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) hosted a meeting July 20-21 for producers, veterinarians, Federal and State regulators, diagnosticians and wildlife experts to address the needs of the National Bovine Tuberculosis Program in the United States. “As we continue to deal with TB in livestock and wildlife in the U.S., it’s important that our national program is properly structured to best address the disease in today’s challenges,” says USAHA President and Maine State Veterinarian Donald Hoenig. For more on the TB meeting, go to www.usaha.org.