Simulation exercise: African swine fever in Poland

Dr Krzysztof Jazdzewski, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, General Veterinary Inspectorate, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland, Warsaw, informed the OIE that a simulation exercise on African swine fever (ASF) will take place in Poland from 30 September to 4 October 2013.

The exercise will be conducted at national level jointly by the Polish Veterinary Inspection, the Government Centre for Security, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the German Veterinary Authorities. All regional veterinary control offices in Poland as well as, among others, the Police, the Fire Service, the Polish Hunting Association and the Military Veterinary Services will participate to this exercise.

The overall aim of this exercise is to test national contingency plans for ASF control as well as for strategy and resources.

This exercise will:

• include training exchange of information between relevant persons in Poland and Germany as well as testing the exchange of resources as regards personnel and equipment;
•  focus on the management of a suspicion of outbreak’s occurrence and existing outbreaks, including measures undertaken on the farm, the establishment of  protection and surveillance zones and other related measures;
• have activities related to wild boars and pigs;
• comprise a scenario element sharing information on a simulated previous movement of pigs from the planned ASF outbreak area in Poland to Germany.

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Animal Health Information Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
[email protected]