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20 February 2025
Message from the State Veterinarian
When I think back to 2011 when a BOAH veterinarian visited my family’s Dearborn County cattle farm to place a quarantine because bovine tuberculosis had been diagnosed nearby, I did not imagine that I would have the honor of being named Indiana State Veterinarian. In fact, before this visit, I did not know that regulatory veterinary medicine was a career option.
That day changed the trajectory of my career and my life. I originally planned to pursue my passion for bovine reproductive medicine, but a subsequent internship with BOAH while attending Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine convinced me that regulatory medicine was the right path for me.
I do not take lightly the charge that the agency’s 11-member board has set before me. I will be following in the legacy left by Dr. Bret Marsh’s 30-year tenure. I hope to carry on this legacy of public service to the citizens and animal owners of this state by leading a team committed to providing access to expertise, outreach on important topics, representation for all sectors, and responsiveness when situations arise. From that first meeting with BOAH 14 years ago, I’ve taken to heart that this agency’s work is important to every farm family in Indiana whose livelihoods depend on the work this team does.
The Indiana Code (IC 15-17-3) establishes BOAH’s mission areas: animal health, disaster preparedness, animal care and food safety under the Indiana Center for Animal Policy. My goal for the future of this agency is to:
• Foster a culture that values retention of current talent and encourages recruitment of excellent people.
• Remain national experts in animal health by embracing and implementing new ideas and technologies.
• Adapt quickly to changes and remain attuned to new opportunities and improvements.
• Focus on delivering exceptional service in all interactions.
• Understand and strive to incorporate the priorities of our constituents in every decision we make.
• Apply practical solutions that are easy to understand and implement, ensuring decisions are logical and grounded in science and experience.
As I begin this new role, I look forward to meeting and working with more Hoosiers as partners in safeguarding Indiana’s animals, citizens, and food supply.
Kyle Shipman, DVM
Indiana State Veterinarian
Premises Registrations
ACTIVE PREMISES registered in Indiana as of February 17, 2025, total 72,443. By species: Avian 14,719; Bovine 30,640; Camelid 641; Cervid 284; Equine 11,806; Goats 15,025; Sheep 9,268; Swine 17,014.
Veterinary Updates
BOAH CONTINUES to train Indiana veterinarians on the VET-CVI software to transition away from the Indiana eCVI (fillable PDF). Indiana stopped accepting the eCVI for exports and intrastate movements as of January 1, 2025. The BOAH team hosts monthly training sessions on the VET-CVI platform. BOAH’s Indiana Veterinarians (IN BOAH) YouTube channel, offers tutorial videos for VET-CVI.
Cervids
GENOMIC TESTING of white-tailed deer was authorized for 60 producers who applied for USDA cooperative agreement funds.
FREE EDUCATIONAL courses for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) developed by the Iowa State University Center for Food Safety and Public Health (CFSPH) are now available online, accessible here: https://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/product/farmed-cervid-cwd-courses/. Two courses are available: one is designed for veterinarians and the other for cervid producers.
TRACK CWD cases on BOAH’s new dashboard. This interface helps producers determine the proximity of their farms to CWD-positive cases in Indiana wildlife. ( https://www.in.gov/boah/cwd-proximity-dashboard/).
Cattle
OFFICIAL IDENTIFICATION standards were updated by USDA, starting November 5, 2024. The updated federal Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rule now requires cattle and bison to be officially identified with visually and electronically readable 840 tags. This rule change also calls special attention to ID requirements in any beef-on-dairy crosses, which must be officially identified. Official ID placed prior to November 5 is grandfathered in; however, any new official ID placed must be visually and electronically readable.
Swine
SHIP ENROLLMENT continues to grow, with 80% of breeding herds and 54% of growing pig herds in the program. Of the Indiana sites enrolled, 92% hold a US Swine Health Improvement Plan certification.
96 INDIVIDUALS have completed training and are rostered as Certified Swine Sample Collectors in Indiana.
Avian/Poultry
HPAI DETECTIONS in wild birds continue to expand based on mortality event surveillance and hunter-harvest sampling conducted by Indiana DNR and USDA’s Wildlife Services. Citizens may report sick or dead birds via the DNR online reporting form.
DOMESTIC POULTRY HPAI cases may be tracked on BOAH’s online dashboard at the top of the homepage. A link on the page shows counties with active control areas and surveillance zones, including Indiana sites affected by Ohio HPAI cases.
Equine
WEST NILE virus was confirmed in 14 horses in 2024, primarily in unvaccinated horses in northern Indiana counties. This coincides with 10 human cases, illustrating the importance of equids as sentinels for arboviral diseases.
A NEWLY approved contagious equine metritis (CEM) quarantine facility in Dearborn County imported two mares in October. Dr. Solomon guided the facility through the USDA’s testing and treatment protocols, and the mares were released from quarantine in early November.
Animal Welfare
BOAH RECEIVED 119 animal welfare-related complaints or inquiries leading to 40 animal care investigations during the last quarter of 2024. The total number of complaints for the year was 529, resulting in 187 investigations that involved BOAH. Approximately 4,300 staff hours were dedicated to animal welfare investigations in 2024.
Companion Animals
ELEVEN BATS tested positive for rabies last year in counties across Indiana: Putnam, Noble, Monroes, Porter, Steuben, Lawrence, Decatur, Monroe, Wayne, Elkhart, and Vanderburgh.
Meat & Poultry Inspection
PROGRAM EXPANSION continued in 2024, with 6 new facilities and 3 with change of ownership. Another 7 plants increased inspection level (custom-exempt to inspected or inspected to CIS).
Dairy
MILK TESTING to determine the presence of HPAI on dairy farms is expected to launch in Indiana in the near future as part of USDA’s National Milk Testing Strategy. Plans call for sampling milk that is collected during monthly quality sampling. BOAH will contact farms associated with non-negative samples to follow-up. The start date will be announced after details are finalized.
INDIANA’s DAIRY inspectors continue to pass state surveys and federal check ratings with flying colors:
• For 17 check ratings (score of 81 or higher to pass), the average sanitation score was 88.2 and the BOAH enforcement score average was 96.2
• For state surveys (score of 90 or higher to pass), the average sanitation score was 91.0 and the BOAH enforcement score was 92.9
Drug Residue Prevention
DR. BOYD, at the request of the Indiana State 4-H office, developed a video explaining the dangers of drug residues and proper prevention. The video, part of the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) educational materials, may be watched on the BOAH YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-m90VQNYQI&t=1s.
Emergency Preparedness & Training
PURDUE UNIVERSITY hosted a Mortality Management and Composting training session offered by the University of Maine. Several BOAH team members participated to earn Junior Composting Subject Matter Expert (SME) status. Maintaining a team of SMEs local to Indiana will allow more rapid response during large animal health mortality events.
www.in.gov/boah