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

Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health August 2010 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

National Animal Health 

Monitoring System (NAHMS) 

to Study Sheep Industry 

in 2011 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 

NAHMS conducts national studies on the health 

and management of the U.S. livestock, poultry, and 

aquaculture industries. These studies are designed 

to meet the information needs of the industries and 

other stakeholders—as identified by those working 

with these industries. 

 NAHMS has conducted two previous studies of 

the U.S. sheep industry, Sheep 1996 and Sheep 

2001. Objectives of these studies included 

estimating the prevalence of specific sheep 

diseases and conditions, describing risk factors 

associated with scrapie, and describing nutritional 

practices that impact sheep health. This study 

provided baseline information on U.S. sheep 

inventories, health and management practices, 

productivity, marketing, nutritional management, 

and disease prevention. 

 

NAHMS Sheep 2011 study 

 The NAHMS Sheep 2011 study will continue to 

address the priority issues of the U.S. sheep 

industry and its stakeholders. Twenty-two States* 

will participate in the study (see map). These States 

represent 70 percent of U.S. sheep flocks and 85 

percent of U.S. sheep. The Sheep 2011 study will: 

• Describe trends in sheep health and 

management practices from 1996 to 2011. 

• Describe management and biosecurity 

practices used to control common infectious 

diseases, including scrapie, ovine 

 

* California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, 

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New 

York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, 

Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

progressive pneumonia, Johne’s disease, 

and caseous lymphadenitis. 

• Estimate the prevalence of gastrointestinal 

parasites and anthelmintic resistance. 

• Estimate the prevalence of Mycoplasma 

ovipneumonia in domestic sheep flocks. 

Relate presence of the organism in blood 

and nasal secretions to clinical signs and 

demographic and management factors. 

• Facilitate the collection of information and 

samples regarding the causes of abortion 

storms in sheep. 

• Determine producer awareness of the 

zoonotic potential of contagious ecthyma 

(sore mouth) and the management 

practices used to prevent transmission of 

the disease. 

• Provide serum to include in the serological 

bank for future research. 

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NAHMS Sheep 2011 Participating States

Shaded State s = Participatin g Stat es
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

 By gathering reliable and valuable 

information on the U.S. sheep industry, the 

Sheep 2011 study will help to 

 

• Provide the producers and practitioners 

of tomorrow with information on current 

management practices, 

• Help policymakers and industry make 

informed decisions, 

• Measure the impact of disease, 

• Assist researchers and private 

enterprise to identify and focus on vital 

issues related to sheep health and 

productivity, and 

• Conduct economic analyses of the 

health and production of the U.S. sheep 

industry. 

 Participation in all NAHMS studies is voluntary. 

Randomly selected producers who choose to 

participate in the study will be visited by 

representatives from USDA’s National Agricultural 

Statistics Service from January through February 

2011. During this visit, an on-site questionnaire will 

be administered. Eligible producers will also be 

asked to participate in the second phase of the 

study. Producers who participate in the second 

phase will be visited by veterinary medical officers 

and/or animal health technicians who will 

administer questionnaires and collect biological 

samples beginning in March 2011. 

Testing Options 

 Results from tests on biological samples will be 

provided to participating producers at the 

conclusion of the study. 

 

Confidentiality 

 Because NAHMS’ studies rely on voluntary 

participation, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) protects the privacy of 

every participant. Only those collecting the data 

know the identity of the respondent. No name or 

address is ever recorded in any APHIS database. 

No data will be reported on any individual or in a 

manner that would allow the identification of an 

individual. 

________________________________ 

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 

Email: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov 

Or visit NAHMS on the Web at 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov 

#590.0810 

________________________________ 

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discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of 

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applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, 

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program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

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Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 

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