The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health announced to industry stakeholders Oct. 22, 2003, that Veterinary Services (VS) is working with six states on an electronic Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) project. This would allow state and federal animal health officials to have real-time access to information regarding livestock movements in and out of their states using electronic health certificates logged by state, federal, and private practitioners, and thus allow immediate trace back and other reports relevant to disease control and surveillance. Steve Weber, DVM, MS, of VS, said, “The program includes horses as their movement falls under USDA oversight.” 

The U.S. Animal Health Association recently made two resolutions supporting the development of an electronic health certificate system. Florida, the original beta-testing state in 1999, is now joined in the program by California, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin