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Preventing the Introduction of Foreign Animal Diseases

The responsibility for preventing the introduction of FAD' into the United States has been assigned to several Government agencies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) (Fig. 1) has the primary responsibility for preventing the introduction of FAD's through importation regulations governing animals, poultry, and animal and poultry products. To accomplish this objective, APHIS cooperates with other Federal agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) within APHIS is responsible for inspecting ships and planes and their cargo, passengers, and luggage arriving from foreign countries. Working closely with customs inspectors, this unit intercepts animals, poultry, animal and poultry products, and disease vectors at U. S. ports of entry.

Veterinary Services (VS) within APHIS administers laws and regulations pertaining to the importation of animals, poultry, pet birds, semen, embryos, hatching eggs, and other animal products to ensure that those imported from foreign countries are free from certain disease agents.

International Services (IS) within APHIS cooperates with its counterparts in foreign countries to reduce the international spread of animal and poultry diseases. The focus is to protect U.S. livestock and poultry by reducing the disease risk through participation in disease-management strategies before animals and poultry are imported into the United States.

Protecting the Livestock and Poultry Industries from Disease Incursions

The responsibility for rapidly detecting and effectively responding to incursions of FAD's is primarily that of the livestock and poultry owners, veterinarians in private clinical practice, the animal health organization of each State, and APHIS. The State animal health official, usually the State Veterinarian, and the Federal Veterinarian, VS, APHIS, routinely conduct surveillance activities to detect any FAD outbreaks quickly. These activities require the support of State veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the Cooperative Extension Service of the USDA, State and Federal meat and poultry inspection services, animal scientists, market operators, and again, livestock and poultry producers and their private veterinarians.

To detect FAD outbreaks quickly, suspicious signs of a FAD must be promptly reported to the State Veterinarian, the VS Federal Veterinarian, or both. Private veterinarians in clinical practice are conversant with the occurrences of domestic animal diseases in their area and will probably be the first to suspect the presence of a FAD. Prompt reporting of suspicious FAD signs will enable responsible agencies to conduct an investigation, obtain a diagnosis, and contain a FAD outbreak before it spreads.

When suspicious FAD cases are reported, an investigation of the affected herd or flock is immediately conducted by a specially trained FAD diagnostician. On the basis of history, signs, lesions, and species involved, specimens are collected and submitted to the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL), VS, Ames, IA, or to the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL), Plum Island, NY, to confirm the presence or absence of a FAD.

On the basis of initial FAD investigation findings, often before the laboratory has completed testing of the samples, State and Federal officials in the affected State will take action to quarantine stricken animals or poultry, increase area surveillance, and initiate steps to characterize and control the outbreak. An Early Response Team (ERT) composed of a senior FAD diagnostician, a senior laboratory pathologist from NVSL, and a senior epidemiologist can be called upon to provide greater technical assistance in the investigation, further assessment of the situation, and assistance in identifying needs of local officials to combat the problem.

Leadership, Partnership, and Memorandums of Understanding

Veterinary Services has the critical leadership role for the rapid detection of and the effective response to incursions of potentially devastating FAD's. Veterinary Services is also responsible for providing FAD training, maintaining an awareness of FAD threats, and conducting test exercises of the Regional Emergency Animal Disease Eradication Organization (READEO). To maintain the best possible detection and response capabilities into the future, VS has embarked on developing a new Emergency Management System that will incorporate the military, State agriculture, and industry to a greater extent. The Animal Agriculture Coalition, United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) and the National Assembly, and the American Veterinary Medical Association are helping to develop this new Emergency Management System.

Veterinary Services has established Memorandums of Understanding (MOU's) to obtain resources and cooperation from State animal health and wildlife agencies and the Department of Defense. Wildlife specialists from all 50 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have agreed to assist in FAD's involving wildlife. In addition, MOU's have been signed with State veterinary diagnostic laboratories to provide for FAD surveillance and laboratory support in the event of an outbreak.

Emergency Response to a FAD Outbreak

When field investigations and laboratory tests confirm that a FAD exists in the United States and poses a threat to the livestock or poultry industries, the Secretary of the USDA may declare an emergency. This declaration provides Federal funds and enables USDA to invite State authorities to cooperate in the control and elimination of the disease.

Veterinary Services, for the purpose of FAD animal diseasecontrol and eradication, has divided the United States into two geographic regions. A READEO (Fig. 2) has been established by VS in each region to manage Government, State, and industry cooperation for eradicating foreign animal and poultry disease outbreaks. The regions are referred to as the Eastern READEO and Western READEO. They are staffed by veterinarians, technicians, disease specialists, and administrative and clerical personnel selected because of their experience, training, and interest. The organizational structure is as follows:

These individuals may be employed by the Federal or State governments, the military, and universities.

When a FAD outbreak occurs, READEO personnel immediately report to the affected area and begin emergency operations. In a response to a small animal or poultry disease problem, only a few READEO components may be activated, whereas the entire READEO may be activated in a large animal or poultry disease problem.

When activated, the READEO's use automated systems to record operational data in a data base that is then available to the national Emergency Programs Staff, VS, Riverdale, MD, and each READEO that is in operation.

Joan M. Arnoldi, D.V.M., M.S. Deputy Administrator, APHIS, VS

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