Simulation exercise: Exotic animal disease in Canada

Dr Brian Evans, Chief Veterinary Officer, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Ottawa, Canada, informed the OIE that a table-top simulation exercise on an exotic animal disease will take place in the province of Québec on 6 December 2011.

The exercise will target the swine industry and has been developed by the Quebec Federation of Pork Producers in collaboration with the Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the CFIA. Its objectives are:

1.  Enable the participants to get accustomed to the contents of the Quebec swine industry contingency plan;
2.  Help each team and its members to take ownership of its roles and responsibilities;
3.  Validate the consistency of interactions between teams and evaluate the decision and communication processes when facing an animal health crisis.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will participate in this table-top exercise by advising the pork Industry of all its various management crisis activities, including movement control and zoning requirements related to a highly contagious reportable swine disease in the country.

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