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Preparing for the next major animal disease outbreak

The Secure Pork Supply program is preparing the industry for the next major foreign animal disease outbreak.

Dr. James Averill, state veterinarian for Michigan, tells Brownfield the need for a secure food supply plan during an animal disease outbreak originated in the poultry industry and has been amplified after highly pathogenic avian influenza spread throughout the country in 2015.  “We won’t be prepared for everything, but if we can try to do things to maintain operation, feed the consumers of the United States—that’s a huge step forward.”

Averill says plans include enhanced biosecurity measures, surveillance and controlled animal movement.  “There’s the grassroots level, but then you have it at the national level both from the federal government and National Pork Board—everybody’s working on this to try to bring a uniformity across this country.  A lot of the big pork states in this country are at various stages of implementing the Secure Pork Supply plan.”

The three major diseases monitored through the plan include Foot and Mouth Disease, classic swine fever and Africa swine fever.

Averill says as the industry is gearing up for the opening of the Clemens Food Group pork processing plant later this year in Coldwater, disease outbreaks could be even larger in the region, which makes biosecurity measures even more important.

Brownfield spoke with Averill during the Michigan Pork Symposium in Lansing.

AUDIO: Interview with Dr. James Averill