United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health July 2006 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

National Animal Health 

Monitoring System (NAHMS) 

Supports U.S. Pork Industry via 

Swine 2006 Study 

In July 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s NAHMS 

will launch its fourth national study of America’s swine 

industry, Swine 2006. Swine producers from 17 of the 

Nation’s top pork-producing States will be asked to 

participate in this valuable study, which will take an indepth look at the priority health and health management 

issues facing the U.S. swine industry. Here are just 

some of the reasons to participate in this important 

study: 

• NAHMS studies can and have provided objective, 

scientific information addressing public concerns 

regarding the swine industry’s health and 

management practices. This information can be 

valuable when those who are not familiar with 

production agriculture have misconceptions. 

• Producers understand the importance of animal 

health to their operations and the U.S. pork industry. 

NAHMS is the cornerstone of a national animal 

health surveillance program and works to provide a 

benchmark of the health of the U.S. swine herd. 

• NAHMS collects national data that provide objective 

science-based, third-party information used for 

education, policy development, and research. 

Ultimately, these data are used to facilitate trade, 

improve the health of the national herd, and support 

production of a quality product. 

• NAHMS has a history of addressing important issues 

in an accurate and responsible manner that benefits 

the pork industry. Specific examples include: 

o E. coli data were used by the Meat Export 

Federation to help keep the Japanese market 

open. 

o Production impact data were used to estimate 

the cost of PRRS to the industry, supporting 

the need for additional research funding. 

o Objective data were gathered regarding 

productivity and mortality levels in various 

housing systems. 

o Biosecurity practices were surveyed, and 

resulting data were used to help define 

industry needs for biosecurity education. This 

information is vital because a biosecurity 

breach resulting in the introduction of a foreign 

animal disease could affect the entire U.S. 

swine industry. 

o By conducting surveillance on trends in 

management practices, NAHMS provides a 

clear definition of at-risk populations and 

insight into how to best assess those 

populations for surveillance purposes. In 

addition, the NAHMS program identifies key 

indicators of swine health and productivity. 

o Findings related to knowledge, practices, and 

prevalence of toxoplasma provided guidance 

to the NPB in developing an education 

program and demonstrates the industry’s 

commitment to producing safe food. 

o NAHMS reports have been used in the 

curricula of many U.S. veterinary schools. 

o Information has been cited by university and 

government researchers throughout the 

United States in grant proposals, papers, and 

presentations. 

• NAHMS seeks to understand pork production at the 

industry level primarily to facilitate trade and to serve 

the pork industry as a resource to the national herd 

in the areas of education, policy, and research. 

• NAHMS data on management practices and health 

are used as a resource for producers, private 

practitioners, and university extension services. 

• NAHMS is committed to minimizing the burden of 

the study on producers through efficient allocation 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

and sampling of participants, and through the 

professional development of concise data collection 

instruments and precisely worded questions. 

• NAHMS is a voluntary program and highly 

collaborative in nature, often coordinating with 

multiple State and Federal agriculture agencies, 

universities, and pharmaceutical companies. The 

last NAHMS swine study (Swine 2000) utilized three 

Federal agencies (including four ARS laboratories), 

four universities, and four pharmaceutical 

companies, all of which were directly involved in the 

implementation of the study. 

• Robust producer participation in the NAHMS Swine 

2006 study will maximize the generation of 

scientifically valid national estimates and application 

of this unique knowledge to: educating the 

producers and practitioners of tomorrow; shaping 

national policy by pork leaders and government 

agencies; measuring the impact of disease (such as 

PRRS or PCVAD); and conducting basic 

epidemiologic research on diseases impacting swine 

and/or human health. 

For more information, contact: 

USDA:APHIS:VS:CEAH 

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7 

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000 

E-mail: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov 

www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs

____________________________________ 

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