~oe Animal and Plant Health 
“nspection Service (APHIS) is charged 
with protecting American agriculture 
in part by setting phytosanitary and 
zoosanitary standards that allow trade 
without the threat of introducing 
foreign pests and diseases into the 
United States or pests and diseases 
that are indigenous in the United States 
into foreign countries. APHIS is divided 
into several program areas that focus on 
different aspects of this mission. 
Veterinary Services 
APHIS’ Veterinary Services (VS) program 
mission is to protect and improve the health, 
quality, and marketability of our Nation’s 
animals, animal products, and veterinary 
biologics. To accomplish this mission, VS 
prevents, controls, or eliminates animal dis- 
eases and monitors and promotes animal 
health and productivity. 
The mission of VS is very important relative 
to U.S. agricultural exports and imports. The 
extent to which U.S. agricultural products 
can be made available in foreign markets is 
directly related to the certifiable health and 
quality of U.S. livestock and poultry. 
Proving the health and quality of U.S. live- 
stock and poultry is one of the goals of VS’ 
National Animal Health Monitoring System 
(NAHMS). NAHMS does this by collecting 
information on the status of animal health in 
the United States. The program, which began 
in 1983, estimates the level of selected 
domestic diseases and also estimates pro- 
ducer awareness of foreign animal diseases. 
In addition, sera are collected and banked 
through NAHMS national studies and are a 
possible resource for determining the pres- 
ence of new diseases. 
VS also helps ensure the health and quality 
of U.S. agriculture by preventing foreign ani- 
mal pests and diseases from entering and 
establishing themselves here. These diseases 
threaten the health of U.S. livestock and 
poultry and threaten this country’s share of 
foreign markets due to trade restrictions that 
would result from having a foreign pest or 
disease establish itself here. 
To combat this threat, APHIS inspectors at 
U.S. ports of entry prevent international pas- 
sengers from bringing in foreign pests and 
diseases through inspections. Also, more 
than 300 APHIS veterinarians are stationed 
throughout the United States to investigate 
suspected foreign diseases that slip through 
this exclusion system undetected. 
