DO NOT IMPLEMENT THIS NOTICE UNTIL OCTOBER 1, 2024.

1. PURPOSE
   This notice informs veterinary medical officers (VMOs), supervisory consumer safety inspectors (SCSIs) and consumer safety inspectors (CSIs) that the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Program for lamb and sheep cecal sampling discontinues on October 1, 2024.    

2. BACKGROUND
   FSIS updates FSIS Directive 10,100.1, Rev. 3, FSIS Cecal Sampling Under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Surveillance Program, to inform VMOs/SCSIs/CSIs of the slaughter subclasses set for intermittent sampling and that FSIS may periodically assign sampling during certain years or periods. The directive also states that FSIS will notify VMOs/SCSIs/CSIs via an FSIS notice before assigning sampling.

3. AWARENESS MEETING
   VMOs/SCSIs/CSIs in federally inspected lamb and sheep slaughter establishments are to discuss the following information with establishment management at the next weekly meeting: 

   1. FSIS will continue sampling lamb and sheep cecal samples through September 2024; after which lamb and sheep cecal samples will no longer be scheduled; and
   2. There are no changes to sample collection procedures or sample results reporting with this continued intermittent sampling through September 2024. 

4. Sampling of Lamb and Sheep
   VMOs/SCSIs/CSIs are to be aware that there are no changes to the sampling frequency, timeframes, or sampling instructions to collect NARMS cecal samples for sheep (NARMS_SH) and lamb (NARMS_LB) slaughter subclasses. For more information on NARMS sampling instructions for lamb, sheep, and other species, they are to refer to FSIS Directive 10,100.1, and the NARMS Sampling Training Materials on the IPP Help page under the NARMS Sampling option. VMOs/SCSIs/CSIs will be informed in a future notice if sheep and lamb cecal sampling is reestablished.

5. QUESTIONS
   Refer questions regarding this notice to your supervisor or as needed to the Office of Policy and Program Development through askFSIS or by telephone at 1-800-233-3935. When submitting a question, complete the web form and select Sampling as the Inquiry Type.

   NOTE:  Refer to FSIS Directive 5620.1, Using askFSIS, for additional information on submitting questions.