Which agency is primarily responsible for preventing and responding to disease outbreaks in livestock?

• A. APHIS Veterinary Services
• B. Food Safety and Inspection Service
• C. Agricultural Marketing Service
• D. National Agricultural Statistics Service

Answer: (A)

The main idea is identifying which agency coordinates prevention and response to livestock disease outbreaks. The agency that handles this is APHIS Veterinary Services, the veterinary health arm of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service within USDA. Veterinary Services focuses on maintaining animal health through surveillance, diagnostics, early detection of emerging diseases, and coordinating emergency responses to outbreaks. It also implements quarantine and movement controls, supports vaccination and other control measures, and works with state authorities and industry partners to limit the spread of disease. Other agencies have related roles—such as ensuring safety of meat and poultry products, managing marketing programs, or collecting agricultural statistics—but they do not prioritize outbreak prevention and response in livestock to the same extent.