Assessment of paper interstate certificates of veterinary inspection used to support disease tracing in cattle

Abstract

Objective—To evaluate the differences among each state's Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) form and the legibility of data on paper ICVIs used to support disease tracing in cattle. Design—Descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study. Sample—Examples of ICVIs from 50 states and 7,630 randomly sampled completed paper ICVIs for cattle from 48 states. Procedures—Differences among paper ICVI forms from all 50 states were determined. Sixteen data elements were selected for further evaluation of their value in tracing cattle. Completed paper ICVIs for interstate cattle exports in 2009 were collected from 48 states. Each of the 16 data elements was recorded as legible, absent, or illegible on forms completed by accredited veterinarians, and results were summarized by state. Mean values for legibility at the state level were used to estimate legibility of data at the national level. Results—ICVIs were inconsistent among states in regard to data elements requested and availability of legible records. A mean ± SD of 70.0 ± 22.1% of ICVIs in each state had legible origin address information. Legible destination address information was less common, with 55.0 ± 21.4% of records complete. Incomplete address information was most often a result of the field having been left blank. Official animal identification was present on 33.1% of ICVIs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—The inconsistency among state ICVI forms and quality of information provided on paper ICVIs could lead to delays and the need for additional resources to trace cattle, which could result in continued spread of disease. Standardized ICVIs among states and more thorough recording of information by accredited veterinarians or expanded usage of electronic ICVIs could enhance traceability of cattle during an outbreak.

The Impact of Movements and Animal Density on Continental Scale Cattle Disease Outbreaks in the United States

“…However, all ICVIs list the origin and destination address for the livestock shipment providing a useful source of data on interstate cattle movements. In addition, ICVIs contain varying quality information on the following: shipment date, purpose (e.g., feeding, breeding, show/exhibition), production type (i.e., beef or dairy), breed, sex, and age [20] .…”

Assessing intrastate shipments from interstate data and expert opinion

“…The primary purpose of ICVIs is to prevent potential disease spread by ensuring that shipped animals are apparently healthy and show no visible signs of communicable disease. ICVIs are also used as one source of information to support traceability of animals in the event of a disease outbreak [25]. ICVIs are required for most interstate shipments, except for shipments going directly to slaughter, and contain information that includes origin, destination, date of the shipment and characteristics of the shipped animals.…”

Integrating Novel Data Streams to Support Biosurveillance in Commercial Livestock Production Systems in Developed Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

“…The corresponding certificates of veterinary inspection may contain information on the shipper, receiver, livestock transport company, date of examination, date and purpose of the movement, animal identification (ear tag or tattoo number, species, age, sex, and breed), animal or herd disease status, and any relevant diagnostic testing results. A study by Portacci et al ( 58 ) evaluated the completeness and legibility of paper-based certificates of veterinary inspection used to accompany cattle shipments within the United States. The authors found that date examination were only recorded on 40% of certificates and many certificates were also missing information on animal identification, which inherently limits the use of this data stream for disease surveillance and livestock traceability purposes.…”