Swine Herd Health Protection Starts with You

It only takes a couple minutes to sign up for a premises identification number in your state, but this simple step could save you—and the U.S. pork industry--months of headaches if a disease outbreak or other emergency would occur.

“Registering is as simple as listing your farm’s address, what kinds of livestock you have, and your phone number,” says Dr. Patrick Webb, the National Pork Board’s new director of swine health programs. “It’s important to do this for the health and safety of America’s swine herd.”

He urges producers to log onto the National Animal Identification System Web site at http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml to find out who to contact in your state to get your Premises Identification Number (PIN).

Pork Checkoff steps up preparedness
The national premises ID program directly influences the Pork Checkoff’s 2006 investments in improved emergency response in the swine industry and enhanced disease surveillance.

“How rapidly we identify and respond to a foreign or emerging disease in U.S. swine can be the difference between containment of a disease and the devastation of an entire industry,” says Webb, who brings years of experience in emergency preparedness and response planning to the Pork Board. “The premises ID program will allow producers to benefit even more from new Pork Checkoff-funded biosecurity research and educational efforts focused on emergency preparedness.”

The Pork Checkoff is working with USDA to develop improved swine disease surveillance methods. New educational materials for 2006 also being designed for pork producers and veterinarians, who are the industry’s first line of defense. The materials will explain what trouble signs to look for, where to report this information and how to prevent the spread of disease, says Webb, who recently worked with USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service to develop a facilities manual for highly contagious animal diseases in the dairy industry.
 
Managing a crisis
What would happen if a disease outbreak would occur in the United States?

“From train-the-trainer materials to hand-outs and online resources, we’ll be developing educational materials to help producers and veterinarians know how their state will handle the response and recovery process,” says Webb, who has worked with the Iowa Department of Agriculture to develop an emergency preparedness plan for animal disease disasters. “We’re committed to keeping producers informed about the important role they play in protecting swine health.”