United States 

Department of 

Agriculture National 

Veterinary 

Stockpile:

Ready for Animal Disease 

Emergencies

As part of its safeguarding mission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) coordinates 

the National Veterinary Stockpile (NVS) program.

The NVS is our Nation’s repository of veterinary “countermeasures”—animal vaccines, antivirals, 

supplies, equipment, and response support services. Simply put, it exists to provide States, tribes, and 

territories with the tools they need to combat an animal disease outbreak. In an animal health emergency, 

the response must be fast and well coordinated to keep disease from spreading. The NVS can 

dispatch—within 24 hours—critical resources animal health officials need onsite.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 2139
With NVS support, officials can set up 

immediate measures to contain and eradicate the disease, 

minimizing the animal losses and other economic damages 

that result from an outbreak. In addition to providing 

resources and materials when outbreaks occur, NVS 

personnel help States, tribes, and territories prepare for future 

outbreaks through careful advance planning, training, and 

exercises. Our goal is to make sure that, when faced with an 

emergency, our partners understand the process for rapidly 

requesting, receiving, processing, and distributing NVS 

resources so responders get help quickly.

What We Offer

Equipment and Supplies

The NVS offers many resources to address animal health 

threats during disease outbreaks. These resources 

(i.e., veterinary countermeasures) include:

1) personal protective equipment for on-the-ground 

responders to guard against infection and other 

onsite hazards;

2) decontamination supplies to inactivate pathogens;

3) vaccines to quickly protect livestock and poultry at 

risk of infection;

4) vaccination equipment and supplies (such as needles 

and syringes) to effectively immunize large numbers of 

livestock and poultry;

5) animal handling equipment, including corrals, to safely 

contain and restrain livestock; 

6) equipment for emergency euthanasia and 

depopulation of animals;

7) assistance in securing outside companies, if 

needed, to provide trained personnel and additional 

equipment for large-scale depopulation, disposal, and 

decontamination work.

Training and Exercises

We help States, tribes, and territories plan for potential 

disease outbreaks to support a smooth response should 

they need NVS resources. For example, we offer a planning 

guide, a plan template, and other tools that explain in detail 

what logistical factors to consider when preparing for an 

agricultural emergency. Our staff can also share their firsthand experiences and expertise in handling various disease 

situations, which further aids the planning process.

Once a plan is in place, our staff conduct logistical training 

and exercises with NVS partners per the Homeland 

Security Exercise Evaluation Program. These exercises give 

participants an opportunity to:

• learn in detail about the NVS program and 

available resources;

• test their abilities to request, receive, process, and 

distribute NVS equipment, supplies, and vaccines;

• clarify roles and responsibilities to aid in a logistics 

operation; and

• identify resource gaps and improve response plans 

before outbreaks occur.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Issued June 2013

Contact Us

To learn more, visit our Web site at 

http://nvs.aphis.usda.gov or email us at nvs@aphis.usda.gov.

You can also reach our staff by phone at 

(301) 851-3595 or fax at (301) 734-7817. 

In an emergency, please call our 24/7 hotline: 

1-800-940-6524.