Foreign animal disease (FAD) planning has been a priority for Minnesota since the early 2000s. The 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak incident gave state leaders a baseline for what a full-scale animal disease response would look like. This started a series of preparedness steps both internally and with swine stakeholders, said Lucia Hunt, Director, Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
In 2018, a major outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in Asia prompted a closer look at how the swine industry could prepare for and maintain resilience throughout a disease event. The 2020 Covid supply chain disruption of swine allowed for the exercise of mass carcass disposal, which motivated planners to face the threat in more concrete terms, Hunt said during the 2024 American Association of Swine Veterinarians conference.
Response partners
Government regulators alone cannot be the response entity without veterinarians, company operations managers, processors and researchers. For HPAI, a Poultry Emergency Disease Management Committee was formed, which Minnesota duplicated for swine in 2019 to explore the various aspects of an in-depth response, Hunt said.
Metrics
USDA Veterinary Services has identified 23 critical activities for a successful response that guides their preparation goals. Some of these competencies require veterinary expertise, while other competencies rely on the experience of emergency managers. Together, they build a well-rounded response, she noted.