APHIS FACTSHEET

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United States

Department of

Agriculture

Animal and

Plant Health

Inspection

Service

April 1998

The Animal and Plant

Health Inspection

Service

 “Protecting American agriculture” is the basic

charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s

(USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

(APHIS). APHIS provides leadership in ensuring the

health and care of animals and plants. The agency

improves agricultural productivity and competitiveness and contributes to the national economy and the

public health.

The professional APHIS workforce strives to

meet the needs of an ever-expanding customer base.

We use state-of-the-art technology to keep up with

trends in agriculture and international trade and other

pertinent issues. All of our work enhances the ability

of the United States to buy and sell agricultural products in the international marketplace and fortifies our

abundant, safe, and diverse food supply.

APHIS has five major program areas: Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), International Services

(IS), Veterinary Services (VS), Animal Care (AC), and

Wildlife Services (WS). In carrying out the APHIS

mission, employees in these program areas perform

the following functional activities:

Safeguarding Our Borders

APHIS safeguards U.S. borders against the

entry of foreign agricultural pests and diseases. At

airport terminals, seaports, and border stations, PPQ

officers inspect international conveyances and the

baggage of passengers for plant and animal products

that could harbor pests or disease organisms. At

international airports, detector dogs in APHIS’ Beagle

Brigade help find prohibited agricultural materials.

PPQ officers also inspect ship and air cargoes, rail

and truck freight, and package mail from foreign

countries. At animal import centers, APHIS veterinarians check animals in quarantine to make sure they

are not infected with any foreign pests or diseases

before being allowed into the country.

Overseas, APHIS operates preclearance programs to eliminate pests in some imported products

right at the source. IS officials stationed in foreign

countries maintain a comprehensive information network on the status of animal and plant pests and diseases around the world.

Combating Pests and Diseases

IS officials also conduct cooperative agricultural

pest and disease control and eradication programs in

foreign locations, such as the screwworm eradication

program in Central America and foot-and-mouth disease program zone in Panama and Colombia.

In this country, APHIS searches for and monitors

animal and plant pests and diseases. If foreign pests

get past our border defenses, APHIS quickly takes

emergency actions to eliminate the threat to U.S.

agricultural productivity.

In cooperation with State animal health agencies, VS employees combat certain domestic animal

diseases, including cattle and swine brucellosis,

bovine tuberculosis, pseudorabies in swine, and

scrapie, a disease of sheep and goats. WS employees work with their State counterparts to monitor certain wildlife diseases like rabies and Lyme disease.

PPQ fights certain domestic plant pests, including boll weevil and gypsy moth, in programs that

emphasize biological control and integrated pest

management. To prevent the spread of certain domestic plant pests, APHIS cooperates with and provides

technical assistance to State plant health agencies.

Through health certification of animals and

plants and agricultural products for international shipments, we facilitate agricultural exports. APHIS helps

negotiate other countries’ entry requirements for U.S.

agricultural products and assists U.S. agricultural

exporters by providing health certificates for their

goods.

Caring for Animals

Through enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act,

APHIS enhances the care of animals used in research

and exhibition, sold in the wholesale pet trade, and

transported commercially. APHIS also enforces the
Horse Protection Act to prevent the use of cruel practices to accentuate the gait of show horses. The

agency’s objective is to bring people into compliance

with these laws, and APHIS works with USDA-licensed

dealers and exhibitors toward this end. However,

when individuals violate APHIS’ standards and regulations or show little concern for the welfare of

animals protected under these laws, APHIS makes

certain that the individuals are prosecuted to the full

extent of the law.

APHIS ensures that veterinary biologics—animal

vaccines and related products—are safe, pure, potent,

and effective. VS laboratory technicians check test

samples of production runs of manufacturers licensed

by the VS Center for Veterinary Biologics in Ames, IA.

Any biologics that don’t meet Federal standards are

kept off the market.

Protecting the Environment and Managing Wildlife Damage

One of the most important new trends in agriculture is the development of the agricultural biotechnology industry. APHIS protects the environment by

analyzing the potential effects of introducing genetically engineered organisms, such as a squash plant

whose genetic characteristics have been modified to

incorporate resistance to specific plant viruses. If,

after careful review, APHIS scientists determine that

such an introduction will not be harmful, they issue a

permit for the organism’s release and interstate

movement. In this area, APHIS works closely with its

counterparts in the Environmental Protection Agency

and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration.

The WS program responds to requests by farmers, the public, private companies, airport managers,

and other Federal and local government agencies

that need help in dealing with wildlife damage on private or public property. WS has the authority to

assist in solving problems that are created when wildlife causes damage to agricultural, urban, or natural

resources. WS also assists with wildlife problems

involving threats to human health and safety and the

survival of threatened or endangered species.

 After developing agreements with governmental

and private-sector cooperators in response to specific

requests for assistance, WS provides help to prevent

or reduce wildlife damage through two approaches:

technical assistance and direct control. WS’ biologists help farmers, ranchers, and all Americans learn

how to live with wildlife.

In all of APHIS’ activities, employees analyze the

environmental impacts of the agency’s programs to

make sure that they comply with environmental laws

and regulations.

Leading Scientific Research and International Standards Setting

APHIS has many programs that conduct research

on plant and animal health issues. The agency takes

the lead when working with groups, panels, and other

organizations designed to enhance animal or plant

health. Several APHIS programs participate in setting international standards for phytosanitary and

zoosanitary issues that support trade in the global

marketplace. Because trade agreements like the

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the

North American Free Trade Agreement encourage

free and open trade, animal and plant health standards are vital to protecting a country’s agricultural

resources from exotic pests and diseases.

The National Veterinary Services Laboratories

include several facilities in Ames, IA, and the highsecurity biocontainment Foreign Animal Disease

Diagnostic Laboratory on Plum Island, off the coast of

New York’s Long Island. VS’ laboratories analyze

blood, tissue, and environmental samples to promote

disease tracking and identification. Veterinarians

who specialize in diagnosing foreign diseases seldom

seen in U.S. animals help APHIS epidemiologists in

the field find the cause of a disease outbreak as

quickly as possible.

The Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health

(CEAH), headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, provide

information and technical services for animal health

and other agricultural interests. CEAH is made up of

three individual centers working together. The Center

for Animal Disease Information and Analysis collects,

manages, analyzes, and disseminates information

critical to APHIS programs. The Center for Animal

Health Monitoring delivers factual reports and data

about animal health, welfare, production, product

wholesomeness, and the environment. The Center

for Emerging Issues researches and assesses, with a

view toward the future, animal health and other agricultural issues to facilitate informed decisionmaking.

The National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC),

also in Fort Collins, functions as WS’ research arm.

The Center is a world leader in developing tools and

technologies to aid in resolving conflicts between

people and wildlife. NWRC research activities emphasize socially acceptable methods that reduce or stop

wildlife damage effectively and economically, minimizing risks for people, wildlife, and the environment.

In existence since the 1920’s, the Center is the

only research facility in the world devoted exclusively

to the study of wildlife damage control. In Fort

Collins and at NWRC’s field stations in eight States,

professional employees specialize in wildlife biology,

chemistry, physiology, biological and physical science

technology, statistics, computer programming, and
electronic engineering. NWRC leverages resources

by forming cooperative ties with universities, nonprofit research facilities, and other public and private

research entities. NWRC has achieved an integrated,

multidisciplinary research program that is designed to

provide scientific information and solutions to wildlife

damage problems.

The Center for Plant Health Science and Technology in Raleigh, NC, has recently been established

by PPQ. The Center is the hub in PPQ’s network of

plant protection centers, satellite laboratories, stations, and the National Biological Control Institute. It

is designed to provide the best possible scientific and

technical support for the management of phytosanitary

issues critical to protecting plant resources and facilitating agricultural trade.

Work includes analyzing pest introduction pathways and pest spread as well as strategic approaches

to pest exclusion, performing pest risk assessments

and mitigating damage caused by plant pest and disease incidents, and assembling and delivering stateof-the-art technologies and methodologies that

improve the effectiveness of plant health programs.

Center personnel maintain collaborative working partnerships with Federal and State agencies, academic

institutions, and the private sector to accomplish work

through facilitation and active participation in problem

solving.

For More Information

APHIS has an open-door information policy. We

encourage people to learn about our activities, and

we try to share as much information as possible.

The USDA visitor center and outreach program

at Riverside is located in APHIS headquarters building in Riverdale, MD. The visitor program helps visitors to better understand USDA’s role in an expanded

global trade environment. The center is a branch of

the USDA visitor center located in Washington, DC.

It is open during normal business hours and is the

central contact point to receive domestic and international visitors to the Riverside complex. The staff

provides assistance with information exchange, training programs, meetings, conferences, and other

learning experiences.

The visitor center’s learning laboratory has information on many topics. Learning modules provide

basic sanitary and phytosanitary concepts on international standards and organizations and how the

United States interprets those standards in its own

decisionmaking process.

For additional information on APHIS, visit our

Web page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov or write to

USDA, APHIS, Unit 1, Distribution Center, 4700 River

Rd., Riverdale, MD 20737–1232.

APHIS brings food to your table, stimulates global economies, safeguards our Nation’s agricultural

resources, and protects and enhances its ecosystems. In short, when America sits down for dinner,

APHIS helps set the table.