Category Archives: USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued an updated Federal Order related to swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECD), effective today. [Editor’s note: A copy of the revised Federal Order is posted on the AASV website at https://www.aasv.org/pedv/regulation/secd_federal_order_160104.pdf.] [Source: USDA, January 4, 2016]

On August 31, 2015, the Animal Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that the European Union (EU) and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU would be added to the APHIS list of regions affected with African Swine Fever (ASF). This action is the result of findings of ASF in the EU Member States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Following the detection of ASF, APHIS recognizes any region that the EU or any EU Member State has placed under restriction as affected by ASF. [Source: USDA APHIS bulletins, December 11, 2015]

In this edition of the NAHLN Newsletter, you will read about the cooperation of National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) labs demonstrated when the network activated to respond to HPAI by strategically shifting samples among labs and sending trained personnel to assist other labs with higher demand.

This week is World Antibiotic Awareness Week and USDA remains focused on prolonging the usefulness of a very precious resource—antibiotics. These medicines successfully treat and prevent infectious diseases and must be used responsibly to remain effective to all who need them. USDA also recognizes that antimicrobial resistance, or the ability of bacteria and other microbes to survive the effects of an antibiotic and then proliferate, is a serious threat to both animal health and human health. [Source: Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics, November 16, 2015]

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is advising the public that the agency is adding European Union (EU) and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU to the APHIS list of regions affected with African swine fever (ASF). APHIS will recognize as affected with ASF any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has placed under restriction because of detection of ASF. These regions currently include portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and all of Sardinia. APHIS will list the EU- and EU Member State-defined regions as a single entity. The agency is therefore removing Sardinia as an individually listed region from the APHIS list of ASF affected regions. APHIS is taking this action because of the detection of ASF in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released a root cause investigation report outlining potential scenarios for how the Swine Enteric Coronavirus Disease (SECD) viruses entered the United States. APHIS discussed their findings on a conference call on September 30. A recording of that call is available for a limited time by calling 877-471-6587 and enter program ID 625476210009# if you would like to listen to it.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is advising the public that the agency is adding European Union (EU) and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU to the APHIS list of regions affected with African swine fever (ASF). APHIS will recognize as affected with ASF any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has placed under restriction because of detection of ASF. These regions currently include portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and all of Sardinia. APHIS will list the EU- and EU Member State-defined regions as a single entity. The agency is therefore removing Sardinia as an individually listed region from the APHIS list of ASF affected regions. APHIS is taking this action because of the detection of ASF in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to field test, an unlicensed Swine Influenza Vaccine, H1N1 & H3N2, Modified Live Virus. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the field testing of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that field testing this veterinary vaccine could have on the quality of the human environment. Based on the risk analysis and other relevant data, APHIS reached a preliminary determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. The agency intends to authorize shipment of this vaccine for field testing following the close of the comment period for this notice unless new substantial issues bearing on the effects of this action are brought to our attention. APHIS also intends to issue a U.S. Veterinary Biological Product license for this vaccine, provided the field test data support the conclusions of the environmental assessment and the issuance of a finding of no significant impact and the product meets all other requirements for licensing. APHIS will consider all comments received on or before October 5, 2015. [Docket No. APHIS-2015-0054]

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service proposes to add a system of records to its inventory of records systems subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Docket No. APHIS-2011-0057). The system of records is the Animal Disease Traceability Information System, USDA-APHIS-16. This notice is necessary to meet the requirements of the Privacy Act to publish in the Federal Register notice of the existence and character of record systems maintained by the agency.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has prepared an environmental assessment concerning authorization to ship for the purpose of field testing, and then to field test, an unlicensed Swine Influenza Vaccine, H1N1 & H3N2, Modified Live Virus. The environmental assessment, which is based on a risk analysis prepared to assess the risks associated with the field testing of this vaccine, examines the potential effects that field testing this veterinary vaccine could have on the quality of the human environment. Based on the risk analysis and other relevant data, APHIS reached a preliminary determination that field testing this veterinary vaccine will not have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared. The agency intends to authorize shipment of this vaccine for field testing following the close of the comment period for this notice unless new substantial issues bearing on the effects of this action are brought to our attention. APHIS also intends to issue a U.S. Veterinary Biological Product license for this vaccine, provided the field test data support the conclusions of the environmental assessment and the issuance of a finding of no significant impact and the product meets all other requirements for licensing. APHIS will consider all comments received on or before October 5, 2015. [Docket No. APHIS-2015-0054]