Virginia Cooperative Extension has created a training CD and will offer educational programs beginning in April to assist with implementing the national animal identification program in Virginia.

Public interest in an identification system is growing after a number of animal-disease outbreaks around the world, and after the single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) found in the United States in 2003.

The national system will identify individual animals or groups of animals and will record their movements throughout their lives. The system is being developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), livestock industries, state agencies, and land grant universities.

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS) ultimately will allow trace-back and trace-forward capability within 48 hours, using a database to track the animals from birth to market, said Jim Riddell, Virginia Cooperative Extension's assistant director for agriculture and natural resource programs. "What we are looking for is an efficient and straightforward process that enables us to protect our livestock industries and ultimately our food supply," said Riddell.

"We will establish an electronic trail," said Dee Whittier, Extension specialist with the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. "When an animal goes through a checkpoint, such as a sales site or feedlot, it will be recorded. "For many the vision is to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on each animal's ear that can simply be scanned at each checkpoint," Whittier said. There has also been discussion of using retinal scanning, since each cow's retina is unique, but RFID is available now and Whittier believes that RFID tags will be in use in the early stages of NAIS by next year (2006). "The system needs to function at the speed of commerce."

A disease outbreak could occur naturally or as a result of agro-terrorism, said Whittier, who is also professor of large animal clinical sciences. "Either way, an identification and tracking system would have tremendous benefits," he said. Finding animals early in a disease outbreak is essential to contain the disease, to ensure public health and to minimize the impact on domestic and foreign markets. Overall, the system will limit the scope and expense of the outbreak. "The underlying concern is that consumers in the U.S. and around the world have a safe food supply."

The first step is premises identification. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is beginning the premises ID part of the program. It will identify the location of all livestock operations in the state, including commercial and backyard herds and flocks, and concentration points such as livestock markets, fairs and competitions. Livestock owners may register by calling (804) 786-2483, e-mailing [email protected], or online at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/animals/index.html.

At the web site, livestock producers enter their business information and, in Virginia, their GPS coordinates. But Whittier and Riddell believe many producers will want to come to Virginia Cooperative Extension offices or meetings so Extension agents can help them through the system. Riddell said he expects local Extension offices to be the focal point for citizens' questions and requests for assistance. "We are well equipped to provide the educational component of this important program. Extension specialists in animal, poultry, dairy and veterinary sciences, and geospatial applications have been training Extension agents, who will deliver educational programs through 107 local Extension offices across the state."

"Virginia Cooperative Extension has a vital grassroots role to play in the animal ID program," said Richard Wilkes, state veterinarian. "It has direct interaction with Virginia's animal producers. Extension agents will answer the questions and guide farmers through the procedures and animal tracking programs."

Scott Greiner, Extension beef specialist in Virginia Tech's Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said, "We know that producers have a lot of questions. They want to know the details on what is supposed to happen, how it is to be done, and what the impact is on them. There is a real need for education about this and that's where Extension will play a major role."

Early versions of the identification system focused on food animals only, but other non-traditional livestock species are being incorporated into the plans. Working groups are developing systems for aquaculture, camelids (llamas and alpacas), cattle/bison, cervids (deer and elk), equine, goats, poultry, sheep, and swine.

The possibility of spreading disease becomes a factor whenever people show or commingle their animals with those from other premises, such as at fairs or trail rides. Those animals will need to be identified.

The program will identify both individual animals and the premises where animals are kept. Geospatial information systems will allow officials to pinpoint the exact location of an outbreak as well as other nearby premises where a disease might spread, Riddell said. This would help contain the any outbreak to a small, limited area. For information on educational programs about the animal identification program and the premises registration check with your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office, which can be found at http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/.

If an outbreak should occur, federal officials will need immediate and reliable information to track suspect animals and identify other animals that may have been exposed. The National Animal Identification System will contain only information necessary for animal health. The U.S Department of Agriculture and state partners have pledged to protect data confidentiality. Additional information on the NAIS can be found at: http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml

http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/Organization/Departments/DLACS/faculty/whittier.asp