|
>
Department >
Home >
Beef
>
Beef/Cattle
>
Livestock ID
Beef/Cattle Extension Program
National Animal Identification System
National Animal Identification
System:
Goal and Vision
The goal of the National Animal Identification
System (NAIS) is to be able to identify all animals
and premises that have had contact with a foreign or
domestic animal disease of concern within 48 hours after
discovery. As an information system that provides for
rapid tracing of infected and exposed animals during
an outbreak situation, the NAIS will help limit the
scope of such outbreaks and ensure that they are contained
and eradicated as quickly as possible.
Partnerships among all stakeholders are
the foundation for achieving this tremendously important
and extremely challenging goal.
The Key Components - The NAIS will be
established over time through the integration of these
key components:
- Premises Identification
To track animals, we must know where they are born
and where they are moved. Therefore, identifying locations
that manage or hold animals—referred to as premises—is
the starting point of the NAIS. Each premises will
be identified with a unique seven character identifier,
or a premises identification number.
- Animal Identification
To track animals as they move from premises to premises,
we must also have a standard way to identify them.
Animals will be identified either individually with
a unique animal identification number (AIN) or, if
they are managed and moved through the production
chain as a group, with a Group/Lot Identification
Number (Group/Lot ID).
- Animal Tracking
As animals move from one premises to another, a few
basic pieces of information will be reported to the
national animal records repository: the AIN or Group/Lot
ID, the premises number of the receiving location,
and the date of the animal’s or animals’
arrival. Our ability to achieve the 48–hour
traceback objective will be directly affected by the
percentage of animal movements that we are able to
record. Collecting animal movement information is
possibly the most challenging component of the NAIS.
NAIS Guiding Principles
To achieve the 48–hour traceback
goal, USDA believes the system must follow several core
guiding principles that include the following:
- Uniformity
The NAIS will be based on national data standards
to ensure that a uniform and compatible system
evolves throughout the United States. The program
will support all needs of official identification,
including animal disease programs and interstate
commerce.
|
- Flexibility
The NAIS must allow producers to use NAIS in
coordination with production management systems,
marketing incentives, etc., allowing for the
transition to a “one number –one
animal” system for disease control programs
and other industry–administered programs.
While animals must be identified prior to being
moved from their current premises, producers
can decide whether to identify their stock at
birth or during other management practices.
The integration of animal identification technology
standards (electronic identification, retinal
scan, DNA, etc.) will be determined by industry
to ensure the most practical options are implemented
and that new ones can easily be incorporated
into the NAIS.
|
- Inclusiveness
The NAIS is being developed to identify animals
and poultry and record their movements over
the course of their lifespans. The ultimate
goal is to create an effective, uniform national
animal tracking system that will help maintain
the health of U.S. herds and flocks. Currently,
working groups are developing plans for camelids
(llamas and alpacas), cattle and bison, cervids
(deer and elk), equine, goats, poultry, sheep,
and swine.
The NAIS is voluntary so
producers and other stakeholders can participate
in the design, development, and testing of the
system to ensure practical solutions evolve.
To achieve the goal of 48–hour tracebacks,
all producers and affected industry segments
must eventually participate. [If the market
does not provide incentives for participation
in the NAIS, it may be necessary to establish
requirements for identifying premises and animals
and for reporting animal movements. These requirements
would ensure essential data are available for
animal health officials to carry out timely
tracebacks.
|
- Cooperation
The NAIS is a joint effort. Successful achievement
of the 48–hour traceback goal will occur
through State, Federal, and industry partnerships.
While animal health authorities have significant
responsibilities, it is important to ensure
that this effort does not unduly increase the
size and scope of Federal or State governments.
Both public and private funding will be required
for the NAIS to become fully operational. The
Federal government is providing the standards
and the national databases and basic infrastructure.
States and Tribes will register premises within
their areas. They will also support the administration
of animal identification and tracking systems
that will feed information into the national
databases. Producers will identify their animals
and provide necessary records to the databases.
Marketers and processing plants will provide
animal location records. Service providers and
third parties will assist through their animal
identification and management programs by providing
animal identification and movement records to
the NAIS on behalf of their producer clients.
Labor from all groups will be needed.
|
- Confidentiality
The NAIS will contain only information necessary
for animal health officials to be able to track
suspect animals and identify any other animals
that may have been exposed to a disease. To
ensure that officials have immediate, reliable,
and uninterrupted access to this information
in the event of a disease concern, certain basic
data must be readily available to the Federal
government.
Animal identification and tracking systems maintained
by the states or regional alliances will be
an integral part of the overall NAIS information
infrastructure. The State and regional systems
will be able to collect and maintain more information
than is required for the NAIS, yet only the
required data need to be available for the national
animal records repository.
To help assure participants that the information
will be used only for animal health purposes,
the information must be confidential. USDA and
its State partners will work to protect data
confidentiality.
|
|
