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Animal Health Programs — Mission
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is responsible for regulating and protecting Texas livestock with regard to diseases and ectoparasites. The key responsbilities of the TAHC Animal Health Programs Division are listed below.
Animal Health Assurance
- Diagnose and control or eradicate domestic animal diseases
- Prepare to respond to animal health emergencies (foreign animal disease, bioterrorism, and natural or man-made disasters)
- Provide quality public information and education services
- Monitor health certification of animal populations
- Establish and maintain animal health identification systems
- Ensure adequate disease surveillance of waste-fed swine
- Maintain leadership in laboratory technology
Animal Health Management
- Conduct animal health surveillance, testing, inspection, examination, and investigation activities
- Diagnose and report foreign animal disease
- Respond to animal disease emergencies
- Maintain animal traceability
- Control interstate and international movement of livestock into Texas
- Conduct epidemiological investigations of animal diseases
- Enforce movement restrictions of at-risk animal populations
- Manage infected, exposed or high-risk animals
- Diagnostic laboratory support
- Regulate animal disease reservoirs
- Conduct surveillance for ectoparasites
The TAHC and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) work cooperatively with livestock producers on many animal health issues, including the diseases detailed in the following federal regulations:
- Brucellosis (9 CFR, Parts 51 and 78)
- Tuberculosis (9 CFR, Parts 50 and 77)
- Pseudorabies (9 CFR, Parts 52 and 85)
- Equine Infectious Anemia (9 CFR, Part 75)
- Johne's disease (9 CFR, Part 80)
- Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs):
- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)
- Scrapie in sheep and goats (9 CFR, Parts 54 and 79)
- Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in cervids (9 CFR, Part 55)
The TAHC and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department actively work on integrated strategies to manage the threats posed by CWD and TB to the Texas deer and elk industries.