American Horse Council Press Release

EQUINE IDENTIFICATION UPDATE

NAIS Making Progress

The National Animal Identification System (NAIS), a system intended to identify animals and record their movements for the purpose of disease control, is making significant progress with its implementation. When fully operational, it will allow animal tracing to be completed within 48 hours of disease detection, ensuring rapid containment of the disease.

As of mid September 2005, over 120,000 livestock premises have been registered. Premise registration is the first step in implementing the NAIS, by identifying the locations that manage or hold animals with a Premise Identification Number. There are currently 50 states and 5 tribes operational with premise registration systems. The distribution of Animal Identification Numbers (AIN) is the next step to be taken. The AIN database is set up and the numbers will begin to be distributed sometime this fall, starting with the cattle industry.

Over the past year several health issues have affected the horse industry in various parts of the country. Diseases including West Nile Virus, Vesicular Stomatitis, as well as Strangles and a severe neurological form of Equine Herpes virus, have negatively affected horse owners and the equine industry. Some of these conditions have resulted in restrictions on the movement of horses. The NAIS is being developed to prevent the spread of disease and is intended to help limit the negative impacts a disease outbreak can have on the industry. A paper on Equine Diseases and the NAIS is currently being developed and will be posted on the AHC/ESWG website (www.horsecouncil.org) upon completion.

ID Info Expo 2005

The National Institute of Animal Agriculture held the ID Info Expo 2005 from September 27-29^th, 2005 in Chicago, IL. This expo was a conference and trade show focused on animal identification and the NAIS. Some topics covered included pilot project, species working groups and NAIS updates, technological advances, international animal identification systems, to name a few. The trade show exhibited many different ID technology vendors showcasing the many types of animal ID available. The ID Info Expo was an excellent tool for gathering important information and furthering NAIS discussions with the animal industry.

Animal Identification and Microchips

There have been many questions from the industry regarding animal identification, in particular about microchips. A microchip paper developed by the Equine Species Working Group is available on the ESWG/AHC website. This paper supplies general information about microchips and scanners, and it includes the ESWG recommendations to the USDA regarding the identification of horses for purposes of the NAIS. It is a great tool to help you better understand what microchips are, the issues surrounding their use, and what is available and being used around the world.