ASK THE VET

Illinois Department of Agriculture Bureau Chief, Animal Health and Welfare, Dr. Staci Slager, DVM, answers questions about the upcoming animal disease traceability ruling.

From a state department of agriculture standpoint, talk about what your team has been working on and what that means for IBA producers.

My team and I want to make sure all producers are aware and really understand what we are talking about when it comes to traceability and the various animal disease threats we are currently seeing. For producers who do not do a lot of interstate commerce, the upcoming changes are more about day-to-day events on the farm; however, those who do could potentially see a greater change in their operations (for the USDA APHIS Animal Disease Traceability Rule, see page 29). The change is that we are going from the metal NUES tags to the 840 electronic identification tags. These are currently available at our office. We have worked with USDA to make the tags available to Illinois producers so they can try them out on their operation and prep for the upcoming rule. We can provide each producer with up to 500 tags for free, minus shipping costs, if they are not picked up in-person.

We are also working on developing new informational materials so producers can better understand the upcoming rule, when it is going to take effect and what producers can do to get ahead of it.

Talk a little bit about the implementation of the rule on November 5.

We recommend every producer go ahead and register for their premises identification number (PIN) if they have not already (scan QR code on page 29). A PIN is required to order the tags, so the tags will be assigned to the PIN. This way, if there is a need to conduct a trace out, we know who the tags are registered to and can identify and reach out to the producer.

Who has access to the data and other information collected by E-ID tags?

Only select staff, including myself and other staff veterinarians, have access to find where the tags have been assigned. If a tag is from another state, we do not have access to that information.

In recent months we have seen increased concern for Avian Influenza H5N1, and tick-borne illnesses based on the recent finding of the Asian Longhorned tick in Illinois. Can you walk us through why traceability matters with these issues?

Around the time the announcement came out that Influenza A (H1N1) had been found, we also got a notification from a county health department that was conducting routine tick surveillance and thought they had identified an Asian Longhorned tick, which up until this point had not been found in Illinois. It was identified as such and is considered an invasive species. Though we have not identified it in any other counties, the possibility it is in other counties is likely. This is why it is very important for producers to be aware of the situation and report any concerns to IDOA.

This tick reproduces rapidly and is also very small, which means it is essential for producers to diligently keep their eyes open for anything that could be of concern, especially with the threat of tick-borne diseases. In addition, since its detection, H5N1 has been found in dairies in 12 states. Animal disease traceability is a key component to identify any potentially exposed animals or herds.

Help us understand, as a veterinarian, what factors are considered by USDA and IDOA when deciding to start tracing beef cattle throughout the value chain?

In the event of a suspected disease outbreak, if animals have crossed state lines, we need to know what was in the area, when it was there and how to reach out to the people who were present during that time to be able to stop the movement of those animals and get the disease under control before it spreads further. We need to know who, what, when and where. Throughout the year, IDOA performs practice exercises to show our trade partners we are prepared to manage animal disease.