Animal Disease Response TrainingIntroduction

August 2010

AWR 206-1

Animal Disease Response Training

Scope Statement

• The participant will gain an appreciation for the vulnerability of U.S. agriculture to animal disease threats, be introduced to the factors that trigger response efforts, and understand the important role of responders in an agricultural emergency and gain appreciation for the role of unified command. This lesson will also address continuity of business and issues of traumatic stress.

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Animal Disease Response Training

Terminal Learning Objective

• Review the elements of an animal disease emergency and understand the critical role of responders.

Animal Disease Response Training

Enabling Learning Objectives1-1 Define agriculture emergency and recognize

vulnerabilities of agriculture systems.

1-2 Identify the various groups, authorities, and jurisdictions that will play major roles in a foreign animal disease event.

1-3 Identify the steps to determine the presence of disease, process of diagnostics and surveillance, and the need for deployment of personnel.

1-4 Discuss the importance of continuity of business planning within a control zone.

1-5 Define traumatic stress as it relates to a foreign animal disease response.

Animal Disease Response Training

What is an Agriculture Emergency?

• Any event that jeopardizes the economic stability of any portion or segment of the agriculture or agribusiness industry.– Pre and Post Harvest

• Naturally occurring• Intentional introduction

– CBRNE

Animal Disease Response Training

Understanding the Targets

• Transportation systems• Water supplies• Grain elevators • Producers, farmers, farm workers• Restaurants and food handlers• Grocery stores• Food and agriculture research labs• Packing and processing facilities

Animal Disease Response Training

Introduction of Disease

Unintentional threats• Natural

• Point of origin is unknown• West Nile, Chronic Wasting Disease

• Accidental• Known point of origin

– Contamination of feed– Improper processing

Animal Disease Response Training

Introduction of Disease

Intentional introduction• Criminal• Act of Terrorism (AgroTerrorism)• Targets economy

Animal Disease Response Training

Vulnerability• Geographical dispersion and concentration • Comingled products from many sources• Consolidation of agribusinesses• Extensive movement of animals• Inadequate biosecurity

Animal Disease Response Training

Susceptibility

• rapidly spread

• spread facilitated by wildlife or humans

• difficult to kill and persist in environment

• difficult to trace, go undetected for long periods

• global sources exist and easily accessible

Animal diseases make good terrorism agents

Animal Disease Response Training

Achievability

• Motivation

• Opportunity

• Technical Ability

• Goal

• Willingness to utilize biological weapons

Animal Disease Response Training

Transmissible Animal DiseasesZoonotic• Transmitted from animals to

humans• Represent source of

emerging infectious disease

Avian Influenza Brucellosis Tularemia Rabies Lassa fever Listeriosis West Nile virus Trichinosis Swine Flu Lyme Disease Vesicular stomatitis

Animal Disease Response Training

Transmissible Animal Diseases

• Direct contact

• Drinking water containing parasites

• Eating raw or contaminated animal products

• Insect vectors

Primates Cats Dogs Pigs Horses Cattle Rodents Rabbits Bats

Zoonotic diseases can spread through:

Animal Disease Response Training

Transmissible Animal Diseases

Non-zoonotic• Non-infectious to humans• Humans may still transmit

Foot and mouth disease African swine fever Rinderpest Hog cholera Vesicular exanthema Bovine

Pleuropneumonia

Animal Disease Response Training

Routes of Transmission

• Direct Contact• Ingestion• Airborne• Fomites• Vectors

Animal Disease Response Training

Laboratory Diagnostics and Disease Surveillance

Diagnosis• Requires organism isolation in lab• Poultry

– tracheal or cloacal swab

• Livestock – blood or secretions

Laboratory Confirmation • Only federal lab can confirm• Plum Island (FMD)• NVSL (Avian Influenza)

Animal Disease Response Training

Laboratory Diagnostics and Disease Surveillance

Surveillance• USDA both domestic

and international roles• Domestic prevention

efforts• Collaboration with

USAID and HHS for avian influenza H5 and H7

Animal Disease Response Training

Vaccination in an Animal Disease Outbreak

• Dependent upon state and federal epidemiological assessment and managed by USDA/APHIS

Animal Disease Response Training

Vaccination Assessment• Probability of disease containment• Proximity of high value animal agriculture• Threat to valuable, rare or endangered nondomestic

species• Density of animals at risk• Extent to which wildlife is involved• Availability of staff to carry out vaccination efforts• Public opinion• Potential for zoonotic infection• Impact on export markets• Economic impact of failing to control the disease

Animal Disease Response Training

National Veterinary Stockpile

• Provides equipment, field tests, vaccines and other support services that states need in response to an animal disease outbreak.

Animal Disease Response Training

Animal Health Response Agencies

• Informs governments about diseases worldwide and recommends means of control

• Coordinates international disease surveillance and control

• Coordinates regulations for international trade in animals and animal products

Animal Disease Response Training

Animal Health Response AgenciesProtect and promote the growth of U.S. agriculture• Addresses animal and plant disease events

– Border inspections– Animal import testing– Training for foreign animal disease detection

• Protect, detect, contain, control disease– Wildlife Services– NAHERC– FADD– AVIC

Animal Disease Response Training

State Animal Health Response Agencies

• State Veterinarian• Foreign Animal Disease Diagnosticians (FADD)

Oversight of animal health related activities• Surveillance• Quarantine• Movement permits• Disease investigation• Licensing or registration

Department of Agriculture or Board of Animal Health

Animal Disease Response Training

Integrated Response

ICS/Unified Command• Overall management of incident• Directs activities• Releases resources• Implementation of strategies

Animal Disease Response Training

ICS Structure

Animal Disease Response Training

Reaching a Diagnosis

• Local producer or veterinarian notices problem• Notification of state or federal animal health authorities• Field sample collection by a Foreign Animal Disease

Diagnostician (FADD)• Diagnosis confirmed by a federal laboratory

– Plum Island for Foot and Mouth disease– NVSL for Avian Influenzas

• National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)– Responds to overflow and additional confirmations

Animal Disease Response Training

Case Classification

– Suspect• Animals with clinical signs of

disease– Presumptive Positive

• Animals with clinical signs and positive initial testing

• Quarantine of premises, surveillance and biosecurity measures will be implemented immediately

Animal Disease Response Training

Case Classification

• Confirmed Positive– Animals with clinical signs and

isolation and identification at a USDA laboratory • FADDL – Plum Island• NVSL – Ames, Iowa

Animal Disease Response Training

Economic Impact

• Production losses

• Overall response effort costs

• Loss of animals and genetics

• Loss of international trade, exporting barriers

Animal Disease Response Training

Economic Impact

• Lost income for farmers, producers

• Movement restrictions impacting tourism, hunting

• Higher prices for consumer commodities

• Economic losses to local businesses via reduction in consumer spending

Animal Disease Response Training

What is Continuity of Business?• Goal of eradicating disease may be contrary to continuity

of operations on nearby farms• Return to business-as-usual will prove to be challenging• Some priorities may be resolved prior to outbreak

– Raise awareness– Establish policies– Develop plans– Identify resources

Animal Disease Response Training

Stress Factors

• Individuals may feel overwhelmed and suffer deficits in:– Cognitive abilities– Emotional stability– Physical well-being– Spiritual functioning– Relationships

Animal Disease Response Training

What Steps Can Help Manage Stress?

• Self examination• Mental attitude of self care• Knowing what types of incidents and sensory

experiences trigger emotional response Smells Sounds Sights Feelings

Animal Disease Response Training

Summary• Our agriculture system is vulnerable to animal

disease.• Many groups participate in response to an

agriculture emergency.• Important to understand the steps necessary to

determine the presence of disease.• Continuity of business is essential to maintain.• Economic and emotional stress imposed on

producers and communities.