Category Archives: USDA

On Nov. 1, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service will begin a one-year sampling program of domestic beef, pork and Siluriformes fish to determine levels of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. This survey is part of FSIS’ effort to monitor dioxin in regulated products to provide insight on changes in human exposure to dioxin-like compounds through the diet.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a new partnership between the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will place five scientists in labs in each of the five NAHLN regions to enhance the capabilities and capacities of NAHLN.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is pleased to announce significant updates to the African Swine Fever (ASF) response plans for domestic pig and feral swine response. These updates are the result of intensive collaborations between the APHIS ASF Technical Working Group; APHIS programs including Veterinary Services, Wildlife Services, International Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine Preclearance Programs, and Emergency Regulatory and Compliance Services; the ASF Harvest Establishment Working Group, and the United States Animal Health Association Swine Committee.

Open for Public Comment: Feedback Requested on Structure and Scope for Proposed Framework to Strengthen Assessment of Antimicrobial-resistance Risks Associated with Pesticide Use

Open for Public Comment: Federal Register Notice on the draft National One Health Framework to Address Zoonotic Diseases and Advance Public Health Preparedness in the United States: A Framework for One Health Coordination and Collaboration across Federal Agencies.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is hosting its third annual African Swine Fever (ASF) Action Week from October 2 – 6, 2023. We are encouraging U.S. swine producers, small farms and pig owners to join us and learn about ASF and what they can do to help protect the U.S. swine herd.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is reopening the proposed rule comment period that would amend disease regulations to provide a National List of Reportable Animal Diseases (NLRAD). APHIS is proposing to no longer require suspect or animal disease incident reporting to States under NLRAD. Other existing Federal, State, and local disease reporting requirements would be unaffected.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking comments on a proposed rule to amend regulations governing its Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection program user fees. APHIS and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection jointly administer the AQI program, which assures that cargo and passenger baggage entering the country is inspected for plant pests and potential sources of animal diseases that could affect U.S. agriculture, trade and commerce. Foreign pests and diseases can be devastating to U.S. agriculture and the broader U.S. economy, and the AQI program is highly successful at preventing such disruptions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is continuing to advance animal disease preparedness and response through its Farm Bill animal health programs. APHIS is seeking project proposals for the National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP) and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). The agency is also announcing its next round of purchases for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB).

Each year, we have the honor of sharing the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services’ (APHIS) achievements through our Impact Report. In 2022, we celebrated APHIS’ 50th anniversary. We did this while battling the twin challenges of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the largest animal health outbreak in this country’s history – the ongoing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak, which stretched to 47 states.