The purpose of animal health umbrella management cooperative agreement is to conduct program disease surveillance and mitigate risks for the potential of foreign animal disease spread to protect…

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) awarded the Ohio Department of Agriculture a cooperative agreement totaling $179,127 on April 1, 2026, to conduct animal disease surveillance and biosecurity activities in Ohio under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The award funds three core animal health support objectives: avian health, cattle health, and swine health. Under the avian component, ODA staff will conduct highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) surveillance at livestock markets, assist with USDA biosecurity incentive-focused assessments (BIFA) and biosecurity compliance audit program (BCAP), and participate in working groups with APHIS Veterinary Services and the Ohio Poultry Association to review and update Ohio's poultry disease response plan. The agreement includes reimbursement for travel to conduct these surveillance activities and funds emergency response and preparedness participation. Cattle and swine health support activities are outlined in the cooperative agreement but not detailed in the source provided.

The recipient is the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Animal Health, Food Safety, Feed & Fertilizer, Markets, and Farmland Division, headquartered in Reynoldsburg. Work is performed in Ohio. The period of performance runs from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027.

Activities

Within this cooperative agreement there are several livestock species of interest including avian, cattle, swine with specific objectives. Each objective is outlined below according to specific concentration, and these descriptions include the supporting activities and metric driven goals. Avian: the concern for hpai ('bird flu') spread in ohio and the country is significant to industry. This cooperative agreement allows for reimbursement for ODA staff to travel to livestock markets to conduct avian influenza surveillance activities. ODA staff will assist as needed with USDA biosecurity incentive focused assessments (bifa) and biosecurity compliance audit program (bcap). Emergency repsone and preparedness is at the forefront of the agreement, as staff with will continue to participate in working groups, consisting of ODA, VS, and ohio poultry association (OPA) representatives to review, update, and modify ohio's poultry disease response plan. Cattle: ODA will follow-up on caudal fold test responders and conduct comparative cervical tuberculin (CCT) tests or other activities, as required by TB program guidance. ODA will also follow up on an TB trace out investigations if needed and use a data-driven approach to provide outreach and education to accredited veterinarians who do not meet the standards of TB testing. Ohio will utilize staff to engage with industry in the response planning process. ODA will continue the work in preparing and maintaining an foot and mouth disease (FMD) response plan. To accomplish this, ODA staff to attend regional trainings as appropriate with our state partners on FMD response planning and preparedness as well as conduct bovine FAD investigations as needed. In accordance with blood tissue collection facility requirements, slaughterhouses will be inspected quarterly, semi-annually, or annually based on a predetermined frequency. This will be done by state and federal ahis and vmos. VMO's and AHI conduct BTC inspections at the same time as those inspections of slaughterhouses. Swine: as ohio is in the top ten states in the nation for swine production, IT is paramount to have highly trained individuals and robust surveillance plans for foreign animal disease which could threaten the industry. This cooperative agreement allows for ODA staff to collect the targeted 200 ASF/CSF high risk samples (ODA will enter data into clsm) and ship to designated surveillance labs. To ensure that staff are appropriately trained, this aware will support travel costs associated with registering veterinary medical officers to foreign animal disease diagnostician school and for the saho and other important members of staff to attend usaha meetings. Additionally, with this agreement, ohio will continue to develop and modify an ASF/CSF and FMD response plan. Ohio will maintain response plan templates and guidance materials for foreign animal disease incursions. ODA and USDA VS are available to participate in industry outreach and training programs. ODA/USDA is available to participate in exercises with the industry and other state and USDA officials when scheduled. Finally, ODA will work with their epidemiologist to develop plans and respond to disease which may impact the pork industry of ohio and the nation. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the deliverables and expected outcomes of this cooperative program are to uphold VS activities within the state as well as support livestock producers. For example, there are 6 livestock markets in ohio which conduct sales of avian species. This cooperative agreement allows ODA staff to serve those markets and the buyers/sellers. This award will fund 1750 PCR avian influenza tests at livestock markets. In addition to active surveillance at livestock markets, passive surveillance will also be completed via sick bird reports. ODA can perform 200 PCR tests for sick bird cases/investigation (100 for avian influenza and 100 for VND). Separately, program diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) in cattle can have substantial impact on livestock production. Countless caudal fold tests (cfts) are conducted weekly in the state by accredited veterinarians to assist with animal movements and herd health statuses primarily for cattle and cervid operations. State and federal vmos respond to approximately 50 suspect TB CFT instances annually in ohio. Additionally, there are over 100 slaughter establishments which participate in the BTC program and require inspection and outreach. These facilities and maintaining these agreements are crucial should a foreign animal disease (ASF, FMD, and others) outbreak occur in the state.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries of this cooperative program are livestock producers, accredited veterinarians and other stakeholders in ohio as well as neighboring states and trade partners. Ohio agriculture accounts for 3.1% of the state's entire GDP with more than $124 billion generated annually. Livestock production is a large part of the equation with more than 76,000 of ohio farms being involved in livestock rearing and approximately $1.4 billion generated from swine production alone. Additionally, 1 in 8 jobs in ohio are attributable to agricultural work. To support the producers who contribute significantly to the state and national economy in ohio, healthy animals and protection against disease is critical for the longevity and robustness of the livestock agricultural industries in the state. Subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award: not anticipated. Budget: recipient personnel and fringe-- $82,335.57; recipient travel-- $13,757.45; other- PCR tests-- $70,200; indirect costs-- $12,833.98