Category Archives: USDA

Veterinary Services is seeking stakeholder feedback by January 16, 2015, on the following related documents that address reporting of, and response to, animal diseases. [Source: APHIS Stakeholder Registry Notice, October 22, 2014]

APHIS supported retrospective testing for porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) at three NAHLN laboratories. The USDA Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) has completed the preliminary analysis of the testing data. Overall, 2286 samples were tested for PDCoV. Samples were submitted from 27 known States (there were 68 samples with unknown state where samples were collected). Grower/finisher, nursery, sow/boar and suckling operation types supplied 14%, 18%, 5%, and 22% of the samples respectively. There were sample collection dates between April 9, 2010 (40 samples) to December 21, 2013.

USDA APHIS is proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of animals and animal products to define a low-risk classical swine fever region in Mexico from which USDA would allow the importation of fresh pork and pork products under certain conditions. Under this proposed rule, such pork and pork products would have to be derived from swine raised on farms meeting stringent sanitary and biosecurity requirements. USDA would also provide safeguards against commingling of the swine and the pork and pork products with animals and products that do not meet the proposed requirements. Establishments that slaughter the swine from which the pork or pork products are derived would have to allow periodic inspection and evaluation of their facilities, records, and operations by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. This proposed rule would relieve some restrictions on the importation of pork and pork products from Mexico while continuing to protect against the introduction of classical swine fever into the United States.

This Spring, APHIS kicked-off the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program. The effort will help states deal with rapidly expanding feral swine populations that cause $1.5 billion in annual damages and control costs. Wildlife Services (WS) experts will lead the $20 million, multi-year program with help from APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS) and International Services. [Source: APHIS]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and swine enteric Coronavirus diseases (SECD) reportable to state and federal animal health officials. The announcement, which took effect on June 5, requires producers, veterinarians and laboratory staff to report test-positive cases as part of a new national program.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is announcing the release of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) Request for Applications (RFA) at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp. [Source: NIFA]

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is announcing the release of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) Request for Applications (RFA) at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp. [Source: NIFA]

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is announcing the release of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) Request for Applications (RFA) at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp. [Source: NIFA]

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 18, 2014 that in an effort to further enhance the biosecurity and health of the US swine herd while maintaining movement of pigs in the US, the USDA will require reporting of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) and Swine Delta Coronavirus in order to slow the spread of this disease across the United States. USDA is taking this latest action due to the devastating effect on swine health since it was first confirmed in the country last year even though PEDv it is not a reportable disease under international standards. PEDv only affects pigs and does not pose a risk to people and is not a food safety concern. [Source: USDA News Release]

Undersecretary for USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs Edward Avalos announced today that USDA is kicking off a national effort to reduce the devastating damage caused by feral, or free ranging, swine. The $20 million program aims to help states deal with a rapidly expanding population of invasive wild swine that causes $1.5 billion in annual […]