National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS)

Last Modified: Mar 6, 2020

A comprehensive, coordinated, integrated surveillance system is the foundation for animal health, public health, food safety, and environmental health.

Animal health surveillance is designed to detect threats to animal health in a timely manner. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) works with a vast network of partners to carry out surveillance activities in the United States. Together, these partners work to protect animal health, national economic viability, and the food supply. In addition, these surveillance programs and efforts assure international trading partners of the health of the Nation’s herd and safety of our livestock and livestock products. Our national surveillance system also provides the tools necessary to detect chemical or environmental agents that could affect animal health.

Surveillance helps rapidly detect foreign diseases and emerging issues, monitor and prove actionable information for endemic diseases, and measure regional prevalence of trade-significant diseases.