USDA Animal Disease Center


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) works with a vast network of partners to carry out surveillance activities in the United States. Together, these partners work to protect animal health, national economic viability, and the food supply.

It is the mission of NADC to conduct basic and applied research on selected diseases of economic importance to the U.S. livestock and poultry industries.

The goals of the research mission are to:

  • Produce knowledge and technology to reduce economic losses from infectious, genetic, and metabolic diseases to the livestock and poultry industries and the associated rural agricultural community,
  • Reduce or eliminate pre-harvest contamination or infection of livestock and poultry with food-borne human pathogens.
  • Prevent suffering and death caused by diseases in agriculturally important livestock and poultry.