The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is planning to conduct a large-scale equine health monitoring program in 1998. The program will be part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), which has performed multiple national studies of the swine, dairy cattle, cow-calf, feedlot cattle, and sheep industries since its inception in the early 1980s. NAHMS is a non-regulatory effort of the USDA which provides information on animal health to various agricultural groups. NAHMS collects information that helps animal industries maintain the health and well-being of their animals and ultimately produce higher quality products with greater efficiency. A multidisciplinary team supports the NAHMS studies, contributing expertise in veterinary medicine, epidemiology, and economics along with extensive experience in animal husbandry.

Horse owners and others associated with the equine industry will be asked to help determine the study focus. NAHMS relies on voluntary participation of animal owners for projects which address national, as well as regional or state, issues. Data collected will be confidential. Study outcomes are expected to benefit the horse industry, as well as individual owners, by identifying management or preventive measures which may improve the industry. For further information on the NAHMS 1998 Equine Study, please contact:

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, USDA-APHIS-VS, 555 S. Howes St., Fort Collins, CO 80521. FAX: 970-490-7899. Internet: NAHMS_INFO@aphis.usda.gov