News Release

Contact: Gale Johnson
 540-635-4564
gjohnson@animalagriculture.org

Subcommittee to Focus on Role of Equine ID in Animal Health

BOWLING GREEN, KY—The Role of Individual Equine Identification in Animal Health is the theme for the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) Equine ID Subcommittee meeting, which will be held during the annual conference in Sacramento, CA, April 2-5, 2007.

While animal ID and the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) will be on most other species committees’ agenda, the overall theme of this year’s NIAA annual meeting is Biofuels Energy: Animal Agriculture at the Crossroads.

“The NAIS shift to voluntary does not lessen the need for individual identification nor lessen the role it can have in practical applications for equine health and welfare,” said Amelita Facchiano, Equine ID Subcommittee Chair.

Mary Giddens, DVM and Vice-Chair, has enlisted colleagues to discuss recent disease outbreaks and the need for identification and movement tracking in controlling them.  In addition to Equine Herpesviris-1 (EVA-1) and Equine Virial Arteritis (EVA), foreign animal diseases such as Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) and Contagious Equine Metritis (CEM) are diseases that can require immediate and accountable tracking of horses post import.

“Like many others,” Dr. Giddens said, “I feel strongly that there are numerous benefits associated with horse identification.  We need to focus on the practical and positive applications that will lead to better, safer and more humane lives for our horses.”

Additional practical applications to be covered include: state pilot project and data base issues, recent ID legislation, bio-thermal RFID applications; the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) 2005 Equine Study as it relates to ID practices and the international perspective. 

For more info on the NIAA annual meeting, committee agendas and schedules, go to www.animalagriculture.org.  

NIAA’s mission is to provide forums for building consensus and advancing solutions for animal agriculture and to provide continuing education and communication linkages to animal agriculture professionals.  More information is available at www.animalagriculture.org.