WASHINGTON – The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture announced that it would work with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) to boost national animal health preparedness.
The $1 million in funding will support rapid investigations of unexplained morbidity or mortality events, or UMEs, in animals — unexpected deaths or illnesses that could signal emerging threats.
The agency believes the proactive approach to surveillance strengthens APHIS’ commitment to safeguarding animal health across the country.
“The ability to rapidly diagnose unknown illnesses in animals is vital for preventing outbreaks and safeguarding public health,” said Mike Watson, APHIS Administrator. “This new cooperative agreement marks a significant leap forward in our ability to detect emerging threats at the earliest stages through advanced testing and collaboration with the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.”
This new cooperative agreement will be managed by Michigan State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a member of the NAHLN. The funding will be used to reimburse testing expenses at any NAHLN laboratory for UME cases that meet specific criteria.
By funding UME testing, APHIS works ahead to identify and address potential disease threats before they become larger, more difficult-to-control outbreaks. All of those factors help protect animal and public health along with international trade considerations.
“Early detection and identification of potential threats to animal health is critical to our ability to protect the health of our nation’s animals, the food supply, and potentially human health,” said Sara Ahola, veterinarian medical officer and UME project lead at APHIS.
The agency noted that if a stakeholder or partner agency suspects they may have a UME event in non-wildlife animals for which initial testing for common causes does not determine the reason for the illness or deaths, they should report it to any NAHLN Laboratory for potential further testing.
