Update provided on national veterinary stockpile

Members of the U.S. Animal Health Association Committee on Animal Emergency Management were provided with an update on the status of the National Veterinary Stockpile at their meeting recently.

The stockpile, which is maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, consists of vaccines, equipment and supplies--including protective gear for individual responders--that can be shipped anywhere in the United States within 24 hours in the event of an animal disease outbreak. APHIS has held several exercises in the past year to streamline this process.

The Committee also heard about APHIS emergency management priorities for 2007. Dr. Jose Diez, the new head of APHIS' Emergency Management and Diagnostics, said that APHIS is working to establish an integrated animal emergency management system that involves federal, state and local entities.

A Department of Homeland Security official provided information on three different training opportunities that will be available for animal emergency responders. The Committee also heard a presentation on a Web-based emergency management system that tracks various resources and trained personnel. For instance, if an emergency task force was faced with the problem of burying a large number of animals, it could go on the Web and find out where every backhoe in the state was located.

Last year's experience with Hurricane Katrina prompted the Committee to address the problem of assigning responsibilities on how to handle livestock and companion animals in the event of a non-disease emergency, such as a flood or a blizzard. In an emergency involving an animal disease, there are clear guidelines on who the responders are and who is in charge. The Committee called on the various agencies that would be involved in non-disease emergencies to clarify responsibilities, the chain of command and funding issues before an actual emergency occurs.

The Committee called for the development of a national coordinated carcass and "specified risk materials" disposal/utilization plan. This would involve federal agencies that have jurisdiction over animal feed, disposal of solid waste, animal health and meat safety, transportation and conservation programs.

The Committee called for these federal agencies to work with state agencies, livestock and poultry groups and the rendering industry in developing such a plan.

The Committee also heard a presentation on how to improve efforts to get funding for future animal health emergency efforts.

Date: 10/20/06

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