Simulation exercise: Foot and mouth disease in Australia-3

Dr Gardner Murray, Chief Veterinary Officer, Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry, informed us that his country is free from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and that a simulation exercise on FMD called “Exercise Sarcophilus” will take place in Hobart in the State of Tasmania, Australia, between 17 and 21 May 2004.

“Exercise Sarcophilus” is a training exercise designed to develop the skills of approximately 140 participants who will be drawn from the government of Tasmania and the newly initiated national emergency animal disease Rapid Response Team (RRT).

Specifically, the aims of “Exercise Sarcophilus” are to:

• further develop the skills and knowledge of RRT personnel through practice in a simulated, non-threatening environment;
• assess the value of the RRT and its members, while responding to an Emergency Animal Disease in a recipient jurisdiction; and
• provide an opportunity for Tasmania to establish and staff, with the assistance of the RRT, a fully functional State Disease Control Head Quarters (SDCHQ) and Local Disease Control Centre (LDCC).

“Exercise Sarcophilus” will be a desktop exercise and no field operations will occur.

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