The Equine Species Working Group has released the second edition of an
informational booklet titled: NAIS and Horses: The Facts Surrounding
the National Animal Identification System and the Horse Industry in the
U.S. The booklet can be found attached to this email.
The NAIS is a voluntary program intended to identify premises and
livestock, and to record certain livestock movements for the purpose of
disease management and control. The program’s ultimate goal is to protect
the health of U.S. livestock, as well as our ability to move and market
animals, through a State-Federal-Industry partnership.
The NAIS and Horses booklet contains much useful information on the
NAIS, and includes the following sections:
- Introduction
- History of National Animal ID System
- Why Should the Horse Industry Participate in the Development of the
NAIS?
- Equine Diseases of General Concern
- Methods of Identification
- Potential Benefits of a National Equine ID Program
- Current Status of NAIS
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Equine Species Working Group Members
The booklet has been updated to reflect recent changes to the program,
including USDA’s position that it is a voluntary program. It also includes
the latest ESWG recommendations submitted to USDA in August 2006.
One of the key recommendations made by the ESWG is that no equine
movements should be reported. The group proposed that horses which move to
a premises where a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), Brand
Inspection, VS-127 permit or International CVI are required should be
officially identified and that the records maintained through those
currently existing and utilized movement permits capture the high risk
movements that pose the largest threat of spreading disease. Animal health
officials would be able to query the state databases in the event of a
disease emergency to obtain the necessary records.
If horse owners choose to utilize microchips for the purpose of official
identification, the ESWG recommends use of the ISO/ANSI compatible RFID
chip (11784/85, 134.2 kHz) and that RFID reader and scanner manufacturers
and suppliers should make an immediate effort to provide readers and
scanners that can read ISO/ANSI 11784/11785 microchips, and read or at
least detect all 125 kHz frequency companion animal microchips. USDA has
recently announced its endorsement of the ISO standards if an owner
decides to utilize RFID technology for NAIS participation.
The NAIS and Horses booklet is available on the ESWG website
www.equinespeciesworkinggroup.com, along with other important and
useful information regarding the ESWG and the NAIS, including the latest
ESWG recommendations. |
