Washington's Animal Disease Traceability Program

In 2003, Washington was the epicenter of the BSE case of a dairy cow which had been born in Canada. From that negative event came a positive and proactive program that can trace animal disease in a very quick and effective method as Retired State of Washington Veterinarian Dr. Leonard Eldridge shares
Eldridge: “ But it did wake the industry folks up in the state of Washington that we needed to so something. As I met and went through with those folks there was a lot of different advice — but they did agree with a few things. And that is basically the backbone of the animal disease traceability program in Washington.”
Eldridge says the program that had its beginnings in 2006 after a state Legislators established a Committee to create the plan — what is being used in Washington presently he says is now being considered by other states and USDA as well.
Eldridge: “Today Washington is well on its way to a very, very good system that will eventually be a electronic transmission of information and data. It will be one-time entry and from there on it will be entered into a searchable data base that animal health officials can — very quickly — identify and contain any rapidly spreading disease.”