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Animal Health and International Trade Committee
Mid-Year Report
August 27, 2004

Update on activities related to these resolutions:

A.     Regionalization: We urge the development of a zoning and regionalization model that would be adaptable to a foreign or emerging disease outbreak in the US. Such an effort should be led by USDA, APHIS, Veterinary Services, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health in collaboration with state governments and industry. NIAA further encourages USDA to prioritize funding of this project. A discussion of the model, and a report on the progress in its development should be provided at the 2005 NIAA Animal Health and International Trade Committee meeting.

Update & Comments: Letters from Dr. Rick Sibbel, Chairman of the NIAA Board were sent on May 30, 2004 to the APHIS Administrator and State Veterinarians regarding this resolution.  A specific request to APHIS should be made to formally request a report on the progress on these activities at the next NIAA Annual meeting in 2005.

B.     National Animal Health Reporting System:  We support and encourage APHIS to strengthen the participation of all states in NAHRS.  NAHRS should continue to present the national status of the country’s livestock health status without naming infected states or farms, benefiting all states and industries needing USDA support for livestock disease control or endorsement of international health certifications.

Update & Comments:  A letter from Dr. Rick Sibbel, Chairman of the NIAA Board was sent on May 30, 2004 to the APHIS Administrator regarding this resolution. The importance of a full participation of all states in the NAHRS has been discussed by the National Animal Health Surveillance System Steering Committee (A. Torres is a member of this new committee).

C.     Addressing the Impact of Emerging Diseases in International Trade:  We encourage USDA to discuss with states, academia, and the industry options to protect U.S. animal populations from emerging diseases while meeting our international trade obligations. A report of these discussions should be given at the 2005 NIAA Animal Health and International Trade Committee meeting.

Update & Comments:  Letters from Dr. Rick Sibbel, Chairman of the NIAA Board were sent on May 30, 2004 to the APHIS Administrator, State Veterinarians and U.S. Colleges of Veterinary Medicine regarding this resolution.  A specific request to APHIS should be made to formally request a report on the progress on these activities at the next NIAA Annual meeting in 2005.

D.    Importance of the Eradication of FMD in South America:  We encourage USDA in partnership with the private sector to continue to collaborate with U.S. agencies, international organizations and other groups to support, coordinate and enhance the hemispheric plan for FMD eradication.

Update & Comments:  A letter from Dr. Rick Sibbel, Chairman of the NIAA Board was sent on May 30, 2004 to The Honorable Ann M. Veneman, USDA Secretary, regarding this resolution. Dr. A. Torres and Mr. Phil Bradshaw have been formally named by the Pan American Health Organization as the representatives of the public and private sectors respectively, from North America in the newly formed Inter-American Group for the Eradication of Food-and-Mouth Disease (GIEFA). Dr. Torres is serving as the Chairman of this group. A recent meeting of the group took place in Colombia and an Action Plan is being developed for presentation to a special session of the COHEFA (Hemispheric Commission for the Eradication of Food-and-Mouth Disease) at a Ministerial meeting in Brazil in early October, 2004. 

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