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| Indiana Board of Animal Health reflects on a challenging 2010 |
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As the New Year begins, my staff and I reflect back on a very busy 2010, that was teeming with challenges on all fronts.
Last year began with all eyes on the budget. Like other state agencies, we were working to trim our budget in the face of lagging state revenues resulting from the economic downturn. In January, we negotiated a compromise to cut the state’s contribution to the Meat and Poultry Inspection Program (MPIP) in an effort to meet the Administration’s budget target.
January also brought rule-making for the newly enacted Commercial Dog Breeders and Brokers program. Since the law took effect on Jan. 1, BOAH has registered 98 breeders and two brokers.
This time last year, final results for bovine tuberculosis (TB) testing of more than 400 hunter-harvested wild white-tailed deer were just being reported back to BOAH and the Department of Natural Resources. The testing was done as a followup to a test-positive farm-raised elk identified in 2009.
Since all results were reported as negative, the search for the source of TB continues into 2011 with more suspect traces having been reported back to cattle herds in Southeastern Indiana in 2010. BOAH staff is still working with local livestock owners in the region to trace cattle and cervid movements.
Even the equine industry had more than its fair share of regulatory health issues last year. Piroplasmosis, a foreign-origin tick-borne infection of horses, continues to be a threat nationwide.
Indiana is among the states affected by a “spider web” of disease spread by animals moving from state to state. As a result, many states, including Kentucky and Michigan, have increased testing requirements on horses moving interstate. To protect our valuable equine industry, Indiana may soon follow suit. Similarly, other equine health issues, such as the West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis and strangles, gave BOAH field veterinarians much to do last year.
The complexities of working through these types of animal health issues and the related traces in the field is one reason BOAH staff worked so hard in 2010 to increase the adoption of the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag systems (also known as “840” ID). By the second anniversary of the RFID tag program in October, BOAH had distributed more than 100,000 IDs to Hoosier producers, veterinarians and Extension educators to improve traceability in disease investigations.
As we move into 2011, more than 70 Indiana county 4-H programs have already committed to using the RFID technology in local cattle exhibitions. Once again, Indiana is leading the nation in adopting the systems and technologies we need to protect our food system in an emergency. No other state comes close to accomplishing what our livestock industry has done in voluntarily supporting state programs. This is truly a testament to the excellent working relationship this agency has with Indiana’s livestock industry to achieve common goals.
During 2010, BOAH continued to integrate use of the USAHERDS program into more agency programs, including the Commercial Dog Breeder and aquaculture programs. Through the efforts of BOAH staff, USAHERDS is becoming the database system of choice for other state animal health agencies.
These issues are just the tip of the iceberg of issues and events that BOAH tackled in the last year - many of which are continuing into 2011. Only space limits my ability to convey the full picture of the work and dedication of our BOAH staff, from those in the main office answering the phones and processing time sheets to the dairy inspectors who are on farms and in plants everyday ensuring the safety of milk produced in Indiana.
Our field veterinarians and animal health specialists work in so many areas, at so many levels. They coordinate with local governments to do emergency planning as well as investigate animal abuse and neglect cases. The field staff also follows up on disease traces ranging from avian influenza to zoonotics that can affect public health.
I am proud of the work we do here at the Board of Animal Health. And, even more so, I’m proud of the people here who get it done. Even in tough economic times during the last year, which saw unprecedented lay-offs and a central office move across town, the BOAH staff has continued to maintain a high standard for performance and service to the people of Indiana.
By all indications, 2011 will be just as busy and at least as challenging. But, I stand confident that we are poised to meet those challenges and will be ready for whatever comes our way.
Bret D. Marsh, DVM
Indiana State Veterinarian |
| 1/14/2011 |
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