USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
Contact:  Larry Mark - (703) 451-3954 - ldmark@erols.com

For immediate release:


USAHA LEADERS FEATURED IN VIDEO ON NATIONAL PSEUDORABIES 
ERADICATION PROGRAM

	HERSHEY, Pa., Nov. 8, 2005 - A video chronicling the successful eradication of 
pseudorabies virus (PRV) from the U.S. domestic pig population was unveiled today during a 
meeting here of the U. S. Animal Health Association's (USAHA) Committee on Pseudorabies.

      The state-federal-industry eradication effort, widely considered as a model for future 
disease eradication programs, was initiated in 1989 when there were more than 10,000 infected 
swine herds nationally.  It was in 2002 that the zero-infected-herd level was first recorded in the 
United States.  Today, every state in the nation maintains Stage V -- or free -- status.

      In the video, USAHA president-elect Dr. Bret Marsh discusses the role of state animal 
health regulatory agencies in the video.  Dr. Marsh is Indiana State Veterinarian and executive 
director of the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.  Former Minnesota State Veterinarian Dr. 
Tom Hagerty, a past USAHA president and long-time chairman of the Program Standards 
Subcommittee of the USAHA Committee on Pseudorabies, is also featured in the video.

      Jim Leafstedt, a pork producer from South Dakota and currently USAHA's second vice-
president, appears throughout the video, which chronicles the history of the program, formation 
of the National PRV Control Board, program standards, funding and technical contributions.  It 
also highlights the state-federal-industry collaborative endeavor that was a hallmark of the 
eradication program.  Leafstedt chaired the Pseudorabies Eradication Task Force of the National 
Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) and is a recognized producer leader of the National 
Pork Board.

      The role of pork producers, swine veterinarians, researchers and diagnosticians, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and state regulatory officials and other stakeholders who 
contributed to the program's success were also chronicled in the 15-minute video.

      The USAHA Committee on Pseudorabies will continue its work for some time to come, 
providing oversight to state and federal surveillance efforts and assisting industry in addressing 
concerns of the presence of PRV among feral, or wild, swine populations in the United States.

      The video, Mission Accomplished: Successful Eradication of Pseudorabies Virus in the 
United States, was produced by the NIAA through a grant from Veterinary Services of USDA's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).  Copies are available in DVD or VHS 
format at no cost by contacting NIAA at (270) 782-9798 or niaa@animalagriculture.org.

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