USDA and the Centers for Disease Control will soon begin a new surveillance program focusing on influenza in the swine herd. When producers hear about a surveillance program - concerns often surface about possible trade issues. Dr. Paul Sundberg - Pork Checkoff Vice President of Science and Technology - downplays that concern...
“Actually in not having a surveillance program may be a bigger hindrance to trade than having one. Because we wouldn’t be able to answer back, in a credible manner the challenges that would be put forth to our trade from countries that may want to put into place non-tariff trade barriers. They will challenge our stance on H1N1, and other influenzas just like they did last year and say we’ll have to stop trade because you don’t know what you’ve got as far as influenza and this novel H1N1 is in your pigs. Well, no, it’s not, but we didn’t have a surveillance program that could objectively prove that.”
With this surveillance program - Sundberg says information will not be traced back to an individual farm...
“The surveillance program that CDC and USDA have agreed on, and have been working with industry on, both the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, as well as the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council we’ve all been in collaboration in this….will give us the opportunity for surveillance that’s will be anonymous, will be absolutely anonymous as to the source of any influenza viruses at a producers farm.
The information is only available, and we’re building firewalls into the system, that only information would be the information that would identify a virus to an individual state, not to a county, not to a farm, and not to a producer, but only to a state because that is the international requirement.”
An anonymous surveillance program will provide information that will help the industry to address animal health needs. In addition - it will provide necessary information for public health needs.
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