Category Archives: USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the initial purchase of vaccine for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). APHIS will invest $27.1 million in foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, which the Agency would use in the event of an outbreak to protect animals and help stop the spread of disease. [Source: USDA 8 July 2020]

Just this week, a research study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled “Prevalent Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with 2009 pandemic viral genes facilitating human infection.” The study, covering samples collected in 2011-2018, highlights the identification of an influenza strain prominent in swine in China. The authors’ interpretation of the findings raised interest among those in the swine industry and the media regarding any possible implications to the human population. Thanks to the USDA’s Influenza A Virus in Swine Surveillance program, the U.S. swine industry has much more information available to analyze the significance of influenza-related research or diagnostic findings than was available during the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009. Having the surveillance program in place has allowed us to work with USDA and CDC to provide a perspective on the impact of this virus on the U.S. swine and human population.

On April 20, 2020, USDA APHIS announced the acceptance of electronic signatures on health certificates from USDA Accredited Veterinarians when issued and submitted through VEHCS. This means that you can now issue health certificates in VEHCS for animals traveling to destination countries that previously did not allow VEHCS use (e.g., countries with red banners on the Pet Travel Website and IRegs.) [Source: USDA APHIS]

The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Swine 2020 Study set to begin later this summer is being put on hold until 2021 due to the economic hardships pork producers are currently facing. [Source: Farm Journal’s Pork 22 June 2020, by Jennifer Shike]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing a joint project to develop a certification program for high-consequence swine diseases. In coordination with The Iowa State University (ISU) Center for Food Security and ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, APHIS will develop and implement a pilot African Swine Fever (ASF)-Classical Swine Fever (CSF)-Monitored Certification Program. This program will be modeled after the basic tenets of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) program for U.S. commercial poultry operations. [Source: USDA APHIS 23 June 2020]

APHIS is offering a new video series chronicling the impact feral swine have on Americans’ livelihoods through damage to agricultural and natural resources. The first in the series, Episode 1- Mississippi looks at the impacts feral swine have on large and small farmers as well as the levee system, natural resources, and archaeological sites. [Source: USDA 2 June 2020]

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated its African swine fever (ASF) strategic plan and expanded it into a full response plan as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen response capabilities in the event of an outbreak. [Source: USDA 28 May 2020]

The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Swine Study, originally scheduled to begin this summer, has been postponed to 2021.

The Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) recently added Draft Document 638 – VS Memorandum: Guidelines for Autogenous Biologics, to its website for a 3-week comment period. The CVB will consider all comments received by June 8, 2020 before finalizing the guidance document. The purpose of this memorandum is to describe the procedures and guidelines for interpretation of the requirements for autogenous biologics under the provisions of title 9, Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR), sections 113.113, 113.3(b)(8), and the administrative terminology in section 101.2. [Source: USDA APHIS 21 May 2020]

Today, USDA formally unveiled details of its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to farmers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The program includes $3 billion in planned agricultural product purchases and $1.6 billion in direct payments to hog farmers. [Source: NPPC 19 May 2020]