Simulation exercise: Foot and mouth disease in Argentina-3

Dr Matías Nardello, National Director of Animal Health, National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (SENASA*) Ministry of Agro Industry of Argentina, informed the OIE that a simulation of a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is taking place in the town of Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Ríos Province, from 11 to 15 November 2019.

The objective of the exercise is to practice and test the capacity for early response and organized management of the official Veterinary Services during an investigation and intervention of an outbreak from a simulated suspicion of vesicular disease in the FMD free zone with vaccination, in compliance with the guidelines of the National FMD Containment Plan.

The activity will be carried out in the experimental agricultural station of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in a theoretical and practical way. It will include the participation of more than 80 people among professionals of SENASA, members of the health emergency teams at central and regional level, security forces, personnel of institutions and organisations involved in the topic and specialists in the disease from  countries of the Southern Cone.

The main activities will be, among other aspects, the presentation of the exercise, the simulation of a complaint and its immediate attention, the implementation of the procedures from the national health emergency system, the training of roles and legal rights and obligations for a health response from Official Veterinary Services.

In addition to the implementation of field operations and discussions based on hypothetical scenarios, the following items will be reviewed: concepts of epidemiology, mechanisms for the control of animal movements within the context of emergency simulation, the operational mode for sampling, diagnosis, the confirmation of the disease and communications, the relationship with other actors within the production chain, the final discussion and the conclusions of the exercise.

(*) SENASA: Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria

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