Regulatory Aspects of Animal Health

Question 1

what are the 4 levels in animal disease control? top to bottom

Answer 1

1. OIE: world organization for animal health
2. USDA-APHIS: animal and plant health inspection services
3. Georgia department of agriculture: animal industry division
4. farmers and veterinarians

Question 2

how does the OIE work?

Answer 2

countries become members and send reports to OIE, that information is then disseminated to all countries to encourage prevention

Question 3

what is one drawback about the OIE?

Answer 3

countries self-report, so the info shared isn’t always accurate

Question 4

what are the 5 goals of the OIE?

Answer 4

1. collect, analyze, and disseminate vet scientific info
2. encourage international solidarity in control of animal disease
3. safeguard world trade by publoshing health standards for trade
4. improve legal framework and resources of national vet services
5. provide a better guarantee of food of animal origin and promote animal welfare through a sceince based approach

Question 5

what is WAHIS? from OIE

Answer 5

world animal health information system; codes and manuals for terrestrial and aquatic animals, give guidelines on diagnostics, vaccines, and other info for diseases

Question 6

what does USDA-APHIS do? fancy terms

Answer 6

protect the health of US agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases, regulates genetically engineered crops, administers the Animal Welfare Act, and helps people and wildlife coexist

Question 7

what does USDA-APHIS do, generally?

Answer 7

reads OIE manuals to create US specific eradication and control programs, like what Marta does

Question 8

what does the GA dept of Ag, Animal Health office do? (4)

Answer 8

1. certificates of vet inspection
2. interstate movement of animals
3. ID marks or brands for livestock
4. animal disease traceability

Question 9

give an example of the GA dept of ag, animal health office regulating interstate movement of animals

Answer 9

if moving cattle from GA to TN, vet must certify no TB and provide interstate documents

Question 10

what is RADS?

Answer 10

reportable animal diseases, a list with different levels or urgency

Question 11

describe how all 4 levels of animal health work together to prevent and control bovine TB

Answer 11

1. OIE has a section for bovine TB in its manual
2. USDA-APHIS have a national TB eradication program with rules and methods for control
3. GA dept of Ag: state veterinarian follows rules and methods in the USDA program and performs comparative cervical test
4. a local accredited vet (like Dr. Knight) performs caudual fold test annualy, informs the state vet about suspicious animals, and ensures quarantine and mobilization of bad herds

Question 12

list 3 rules and methods for control and eradication of bovine TB by USDA-APHIS

Answer 12

1. TB surveillance at slaughter
2. live animal testing required by all
3. free herd status given if herd clean for a long time

Question 13

what is traceability?

Answer 13

a series of recorded identifications that allows tracing of history, location, and application of a product or anything that is under consideration

Question 14

what is the role of animal scientists in traceability?

Answer 14

keeping animal records and animal identifications

Question 15

what is forwards and backwards traceability?

Answer 15

track between life stages, especially in operations where life stages happen at multiple different farms and groups split up (like beef cattle)

Question 16

describe animal movement traceability in the US and give a drawback of this

Answer 16

we have traceability between states, but not within states, so there is still a lack of data and a gap in traceability

Question 17

describe how food traceability works?

Answer 17

we can track food back to the factories and markets from where it came

Question 18

what are the 3 components of animal traceability?

Answer 18

1. premises identification
2. animal identification
3. animal movement

Question 19

describe premises identification as an aspect of animal traceability

Answer 19

stage of linking tge livestock animal to the geographical location it came from

Question 20

describe animal identification as an aspect of animal traceability

Answer 20

either individual or flock based

Question 21

describe animal movement as an aspect of animal traceability

Answer 21

track of animal movement, where it was born and where it went from there

Question 22

what are the 4 main goals of the USDA’s animal traceability system?

Answer 22

1. advance electronic sharing of data between federal and state
2. use electronic ID tags for individual animals
3. enhance ability to track animals from birth to slaughter through a system that allows tracking data points to be connected
4. work toward a system of electronically transmitted health certificates

Question 23

what has been the issue with the USDA’s animal traceability goals?

Answer 23

been pushback from farmers resisting technology

Question 24

what is one recent big step taken by the USDA’s animal traceability system?

Answer 24

in 2013, a final rule “Traceability for livestock moving interstate” was published, which required animals to be

1. officially identified and
2. be accompanied by an interstate Certificate of Vet inspection or other movement document

Question 25

is there a unified animal ID tag in the US? what does this mean?

Answer 25

no unified tag, animals harder to trace

Question 26

what is the closest thing the US has to a unified animal ID tag?

Answer 26

they need a tag with the shield thingy to be official