Swine 2007 Small-Enterprise Study
US - In July and August 2007, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Animal HealthMonitoring System (NAHMS) will launch its first national study of small-enterprise swine operations. The Swine 2007 Small-Enterprise Study will focus on health and management practices of small swine operations in 31 States,* specifically operations with fewer than 100 pigs.
The study will cover States considered at risk for exposure to feral swine and transmission of classical swine fever (CSF) and pseudorabies. Although the United States was declared free of CSF in 1978, the disease remains a threat to the U.S. pork industry and is currently present in neighboring countries, such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico. The information gathered in this study will provide a more complete picture of small-enterprise swine operations and the risk of introduction of these diseases. It also will further the understanding of the risks and hazards presented by feral pigs, the role they play in disease transmission, and how best to minimize the threat they pose to domestic swine.
How You Can Help
By participating in this voluntary study, you will contribute reliable and valuable information to- Better understand potential risk factors for certain diseases associated with exposure to feral swine,
- Define and summarize current management practices and health conditions present on small-enterprise swine operations,
- Help government and industry represen-tatives make informed decisions, and
- Help university researchers and private enterprises identify and focus on vital issues related to small enterprises.
What Your Participation Involves
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will randomly select a sample of small-enterprise swine operations (fewer than 100 pigs). If your operation is selected to participate, NASS will send you a letter during summer 2007 explaining the study. Shortly thereafter, a study questionnaire will be mailed to you. If the questionnaire is not returned, a NASS representative will contact you via telephone and offer you the opportunity to complete the questionnaire at that time. Participation in the study is completely voluntary and strictly confidential. Because of the limited information that currently exists on this segment of the swine industry, participation in the study is very important.
Study Results
Questionnaire data will be entered in a database for analysis and summarization. No individual herd data will be published. Only combined herd results will be published. Study results will be available on the NAHMS Web site, , and may be reported in industry trade magazines and newsletters or other media and at association meetings.
Previous NAHMS study results have been widely used by academic researchers, industry representatives, and legislators to better understand research needs and important animal-health issues.