Changes are happening at Animal Health Canada\u2002(AHC),\u2002which\u2002announced updates, including work on training and response programs and additions to Emergency Management Division (EMD) staff.<\/p>\n
AHC EMD Director Erica Charlton delivered updates at the recent AHC 2024 Annual Forum in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
Depopulation training<\/strong> AHC has a workshop scheduled for early November with international experts presenting on best practices, which will also help inform the Canadian training program. \u201cIt\u2019s been opened up beyond the swine sector to include other livestock sectors because\u00a0<\/span>depopulation\u00a0has a lot of similarities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Working with fairs and exhibitions<\/strong> Following this, AHC worked with other groups like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Dairy Farmers of Canada and others \u201cto very quickly turn around and produce biosecurity recommendations for fairs and exhibition audiences.\u201d The information was then put up online and shared through organizations like 4-H Canada. Division expansion<\/strong> ASF Mock exercises Several exercises happened over the past year, Charlton said. They were either hosted by AHC or by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with AHC in attendance.<\/p>\n FMD Integrated Emergency Response Plan<\/strong>
\nCharlton mentioned a new depopulation training project which is underway in partnership with ACER consulting. <\/span>\u201cThis will help inform a Canadian training program that we\u2019re going to develop with ACER,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n\u201cIn mid-summer, with the [avian influenza] outbreak still raging in the U.S., we thought we\u2019d better get in front of folks that do fairs and exhibitions,\u201d Charlton said.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCharlton introduced the new members of the ED team: Michelle Follensbee, emergency management project manager, will focus on the wild pig file and ASF exercise planning, <\/span>Dr. Afolakemi (Kemi) Adeniji, emergency management project lead and liaison on CanSpotASF committees for ASF surveillance, <\/span>Kori Maki-Adair, the EM Division coordinator, working on division administration, and Temidayo Adewole, Project Manager and videographer.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>AHC is moving forward with mock exercises to prepare for outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF). <\/span>\u201cAs the sector creates\u00a0<\/span>ASF preparedness\u00a0plans, we owe it to ourselves to test them through mock exercises.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAnother item Charlton gave an update on was the foot and mouth disease (FMD) Integrated Emergency Response Plan (IERP).<\/span><\/p>\n