Tennessee department on agriculture serves as the official state agency (OSA) serving the agriculture community in tennessee

The Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Industries, a $240,388 cooperative agreement on April 1, 2026, under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), with performance through March 31, 2027.

The recipient performs surveillance and rapid-response functions for APHIS Veterinary Services across poultry, cattle, swine, sheep, goat, and cervid health. For avian health, the division conducts active surveillance sampling at approximately 2,500 backyard flocks participating in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) Subpart E program and visits approximately 600 backyard premises, along with approximately 285 visits to flea markets, swap meets, farmers markets, feed stores, and sale or exhibition sites for testing. The division maintains and updates the Initial State Response and Containment Plan (ISRCP) as the template for poultry disease outbreak response and provides education and training to industry partners. When highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 or H7) is detected, the division serves as a critical resource for control area surveillance and maintains current producer, grower, and company contact information shared with emergency management response services for rapid outbreak planning.

Performance occurs in Tennessee. The assistance type is a cooperative agreement.

They execute several functions that serve tennessee, the nation, and the agriculture industry well, protecting said industry and the public by early detection, biosecurity planning and rapid control of diseases of concern in tennessee. Beef cattle and poultry are two of the top agricultural commodities in tennessee. Tennessee also has several large cull swine plants which bring swine from several states and provide the opportunity to be on the front line to diagnose important swine diseases. The cooperator will perform several integral functions for aphis veterinary services. They serve as a critical resource for streamlined control area surveillance when an H5 or H7 detection occurs. They will maintain producer grower and company contact information, which is shared with emrs for accurate and rapid planning in responses. They maintain and update all revisions of the initial state response and containment plan (isrcp), which serves as the template for response when a poultry disease outbreak occurs, and provides for education and training of industry partners. Deliverable and expected outcomes for the cooperative agreement will center around four objectives, including general avian health support, cattle health support, one health support, and sheep, goat, and cervid health support. General avian support will include active surveillance sampling carried out by TDA animal health at backyard flock visits, estimated to be 2500 samples primarily from npip participant backyard flocks and approximately 600 visits to backyard premises based on the number of npip subpart e participation. Surveillance sampling will also be carried out by TDA animal health staff at flea markets, swap meets, farmers markets, feed stores and sale or exhibition sites with an estimated 285 visits total to these sites for testing. In compliance with CFR 9, part 146, staff veterinarians will provide oversight, conduct inspections of slaughter plants, participating flocks and plant record audits. With 1 audit per slaughter facility per year and 2 audits per hatchery per year for a total of 16 visits to facilities per year by animal health staff. Data entry and recordkeeping to include TDA administrative staff and poultry coordinator managing collection data through TDA database and the npip website. Laboratory diagnostics would include npip flock testing and necropsy of sick birds. This will include an estimated 1235 PCR tests and 22 necropsies. General cattle support includes reviewing national bovine brucellosis slaughter surveillance plan with field staff, supporting statewide brucellosis surveillance in TN by conducting brucellosis testing for herd certification, movement, exhibition, and private sales at participating livestock markets and diagnostic purposes. TDA animal health staff (AHT's and VMO's) visit accredited veterinarians to review clinical presentation of brucellosis and encourage screening of client animals who present with signs/symptoms consistent with brucellosis and implement, monitor, and enforce animal ID requirements, testing requirements, and animal movement requirements to control disease spread. TDA animal health staff (VMO's and AHT's) encourage accredited veterinarians with clinical suspects fitting the criteria of the BSE program to report to TDA/USDA VS allowing fadd to collect an appropriate sample. TDA animal health staff (vmos and ahts) will continue efforts for outreach with accredited veterinarians and other stakeholders to raise awareness of BSE and encourage screening in cases where neurological symptoms in cattle make BSE a differential for diagnosis. TDA animal health VMO's will visit with accredited veterinarians to provide initial and refresher training on BSE sample collection to ensure proper collection and submission. TDA animal health staff (VMO's and AHT's) will conduct outreach/education visits with owners and management of custom slaughter facilities and visit federally inspected plants to increase awareness of TB signs and symptoms and appropriate sample submission protoco LS/procedures. Accredited veterinarians submit VS 6-22 forms which are entered into SCS core-one for monitoring and tracking of TB response rates along with animal official identification. Inadequate response rates will initiate USDA/TDA visit with the accredited veterinarian to assure appropriate TB testing protocol and techniques are followed in accordance with bovine TB eradication UM & r. Numbers will be reported in the cattle health quarterly reports in the DIS system. TDA in cooperation with USDA will conduct epidemiologic investigation and trace back of all animals in affected herd in accordance with 9CFR part 77 and the bovine TB eradication UM & r TDA animal health staff will perform yearly outreach and update blood and tissue collection agreements when appropriate. Btcs will be submitted to area USDA office to be endorsed and listed in SCS core one and emrs. TDA animal health staff will enter nahrs disease reports each month into the nahrs reporting system general one health support activities include enhancing and facilitating communication with the tennessee department of health and tennessee wildlife resources agency to include: regular one health meetings, public health information material development, developing emerging disease reporting guidelines, and reporting zoonotic diseases in state and federal database systems. Create a written standard operating procedure for TDA reporting of zoonotic diseases to the TDH and an emergency contact list for high-impact zoonotic disease outbreaks. TDH and TDA maintain a communication call down list regarding reporting of sick wild and domestic birds. TDA will participate in state level emerging disease calls and the state public health response team to support zoonotic disease outbreak and surveillance as warranted. Tennessee department of health will provide a zoonotic and public health liaison embedded in joint TDA/USDA IMT for disease response. The one health coordinator and emergency coordinator continue will participate in state level one health task forces and committees and review emergency preparedness protocols. The animal health emergencies task forces meets quarterly and includes representatives from all state and federal agencies. TDA will develop and maintain an emergency call down list for national priority swine and cattle disease outbreaks and continue to collaborate with tema and other state and federal partners to review and utilize data from 2024 ASF movement standstill exercise and conduct after action reports for any emergency disease response. TDA will develop and maintain list/inventory of one health resources between TDA, TDH, and other state agencies to update and develop mous for resource sharing in preparation for one health emergencies and will maintain a list of current TDA emergency response resources and update quarterly. They will create and develop emerging disease and outbreak response guidelines, resource acquisition documents, facilitate mous, and share resources with state and federal partners. TDA will monitor and report any zoonotic or vector-borne disease results to appropriate state and federal partners, provide support and collaborate with one health partner agencies performing research through attending and participating in the tennessee one health committee and UT one health initiative advisory board, and regulate and participate in rabies management planning and the state sheep and goat brucellosis and tuberculosis program. TDA and TDH public information officers create and distribute social media posts or flyers to educate farmers and the public on zoonotic disease risks, the one health approach, and potential mitigation methods. TDA animal health staff will provide FAD and zoonotic disease education materials at shows, auctions, fairs, slaughter facilities, and extension offices. TDA will continue participating in the promoting and management of monthly one health meetings and collaborate with governmental partners to develop outreach for veterinary clinics on zoonotic disease education and collaborate with industry and extension to promote the secure food supply plans. They will also promote public and agency outreach via social media in collaboration with state and federal pios. General sheep, goat and cervid health support include three staff veterinarians and 15 animal health technicians sample scrapie suspects for testing and genotyping as needed by USDA- VS. One state staff veterinarian and one animal health technician (AHT) will continue rsss sampling activity at slaughter facilities in middle tennessee. Two staff veterinarians and 15 AHT's will maintain the current level of sampling at rsss collection sites and any other site, if needed. All activities will be coordinated with the area epidemiologist and the DSE to ensure that program objectives are met. New rsss collection sites will be added, if available. Three staff veterinarians and 15 AHT's will maintain the current level of sampling at farms, livestock auctions, diagnostic labs, veterinary clinics, or other locations when deceased higher risk animals are reported and plan on increasing visits to 4H groups, feed stores, livestock producers, and fair participants to discuss reporting of scrapie suspects by veterinarians and producers to help increase surveillance numbers if targeted animals are available. All activities will be coordinated with the area epidemiologist and the DSE to ensure that program objectives are met. TDA field staff and office personnel will submit all needed information to the USDA veterinary services for reporting purposes. Three staff veterinarians and 15 AHT's will provide education and outreach at farms, livestock auctions, diagnostic labs, veterinary clinics, 4H groups, livestock producers, state and county fairs, and other places to discuss proper sheep/goat ID requirements, recordkeeping, reporting of scrapie suspects by veterinarians and producers if targeted animals are observed, and strategies to prevent scrapie introduction. Staff veterinarians and ahts continue to report to the ADT coordinator the numbers of sheep and goats that arrive at market tagged according to title 9 CFR part 79.2 markets and the number of sheep and goats that are tagged by the market according to title 9 CFR part 79.2. The ADT coordinator reports the results to the appropriate USDA scrapie representative. The state brucellosis and tuberculosis program for sheep and goats continues and requires compliance with the most recent changes to the PMO that requires all tested animals to be officially identified with USDA-compliant tags. TDA employees from the animal health office will continue to work with those from consumer and industry services to conduct outreach regarding these new programs and encourage part icipation and compliance. All activities will be coordinated with the area epidemiologist and the DSE to ensure that program objectives are met. Three staff veterinarians and several of the ahts participate in presentations to producers at master small ruminant extension classes about scrapie tags and scrapie strategies to prevent scrapie introduction. Preparedness and response activities: TDA in cooperation with USDA will continue with avian health advisory board (tennessee's standing emergency disease committee) annually to review and update the initial state response and containment plan. TDA animal health staff (veterinarians and animal health technicians) will make efforts to coordinate tabletop exercise with USDA veterinary services and avian health advisory board to practice implementation of isrcp, date to be determined. TDA staff will continue to maintain all depopulation equipment that we hold on-site. An agreement with tennessee poultry producers association has been implemented to allow them to store and utilize the kifco unit as long as they continue annual maintenance. TDA will verify maintenance has been completed annually. Preparedness and response activities include an integrated USDA/TDA IMT established as an all hazards response to regulatory diseases and TDA will continue to review IMT quarterly and restructure/refine IMT if needed to address gaps or vacancies in staffing and training. They will work with state and federal partners to review and exercise state-level response plans addressing regulatory diseases and deliver targeted biosecurity outreach and education to promote adoption of secure beef supply plans among cattle producers. TDA will participate in tennessee emergency management association meetings, continue to evaluate, develop, and maintain tennessee incident management teams for disease or disaster response, and coordinate with USDA, TDH, and other state or local agencies on changes and updates. Joint TDA/USDA IMT incorporates 4 VMO's, 15 AHT's, 2 program coordinators, and the state veterinarian as well as USDA TN VS staff. Continue covid, hpai, and other emerging zoonotic disease monitoring and control efforts in conjunction with TDH and other agencies as warranted and participate in quarterly animal health emergency task force meetings to discuss hpai and other animal disease response events. Three staff veterinarians conduct foreign animal disease and emerging or program disease activities when requested by VS personnel including but not limited to: conducting epidemiologic investigations, implementing quarantine as needed, or conducting disease response activities. Three staff veterinarians visit accredited veterinarians to discuss appropriate official identification and the state veterinarian's office sends disapproval letters to veterinarians that do not have official identification on certificates of veterinary inspections. TDA will provide monthly virtual field staff meetings and semi-annual in-person trainings for 15 ahts and 3 field veterinarians to promote awareness of current disease surveillance and response guidelines. Participate in county or state level emergency response and preparedness planning exercises. Provide in person or virtual case manager and site manager training for field staff in collaboration with VS. Field staff and office personnel will attend local state emergency management agency training courses to include all hazards position specific training. Additional training will include FAD course at plum island in new york for 1 veterinarian, and in-state staff training and lodging for 17 animal health staff. Send state veterinarian and assistant state veterinarian or 1 staff veterinarian to usaha meeting in madison, WI. Send the state veterinarian and assistant state veterinarian to the regional saha meeting in little rock, arkansas where topics include biosecurity and disease management. The impact of this cooperative relationship contributes to protecting one of the top beef producing states in the country. Beef cattle are produced in every county in tennessee. Another important example of the impact is that two genetics companies supply 98% of the broiler genetics for the world. The headquarters of one of those companies is in southern kentucky and the other in tennessee, and their production units are spread throughout southern kentucky and northern tennessee. More important than economics, the tennessee producers play an important role in securing food for the world.