Disease Outbreak Highlights Need for Premises Registration

Foot and mouth disease has broken out in the United Kingdom for the second time in less than 10 years. Dr. Soren Rodning, a veterinarian with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System says FMD is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners worldwide fear most.

“We have been very fortunate because there hasn’t been an FMD outbreak in the United States since 1929,” he says.

The disease spreads rapidly and has grave economic and physical consequences.

"In general, one way to stop an outbreak is to first quarantine and then humanely euthanize any animals that may have come in contact with infected animals," says Rodning.

He adds that stopping all movement of livestock is also crucial.

"Research shows the majority of all outbreaks can be traced directly to animal movement or product movement," says Rodning. "If you stop all shipment or movement of livestock immediately, you are still behind the curve with this disease because of the speed with which it spreads. Additionally, the virus in serum or in other organic material will survive drying and can be carried on inanimate objects."

Rodning says that knowing where animals are located and how to contact producers are essential for an efficient and cost-effective response to any livestock disease outbreak.

“Premises registration is fundamental to containing animal diseases and responding to livestock disasters,” he says. “It allows emergency responders to quickly obtain necessary information related to a disease event and begin to gather the resources needed to contain it.

“The database created with premises registration is similar to a 911 database. Imagine how inefficient a 911 response would be if emergency responders had to go door-to-door looking for the person that called. Producers who register their premises simply provide basic farm and contact information so authorities can notify them quickly in the event of an animal emergency.”

Rodning offers a few basic reasons why livestock producers should register their premises.

1. By registering, producers become part of a national animal disease response network, joining industry, State and Federal partners, and other producers on the frontline of controlling and preventing the spread of animal disease.

2. It gives producers vital information in a timely fashion. In an animal emergency, government health officials will be able able to help those registered because they have contact information at hand.

3. A rapid disease response is essential to maintaining consumer demand and confidence, as well as protecting our international markets.

4. Premises registration is free.

5. Federal law protects individuals’ private information in the premises registration database.

Recent statistics show that about 25 to 30 percent of premises with livestock in Alabama are registered. In contrast, there are a number of states where more than 50 percent of the premises registered.

“These states will be much better prepared to respond quickly and efficiently to an animal emergency,” says Rodning. “I encourage all of our livestock producers to register their premises and to convince your neighbor to do the same. We are all in this together.”

Posted by at August 15, 2007 10:42 AM | TrackBack