Government’s ability will be tested with outbreak

A major national exercise is set to take place next year in order to test the Government’s ability to deal with a significant outbreak of Classical Swine Fever (CSF).

The exercise will involve the the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and key operational partners.

Exercise ‘Walnut’ has been organised by AHVLA and will simulate a national scale outbreak of CSF to test existing plans and policies for the control and eradication of the disease. The realistic real-time simulation aims to establish Britain’s state of readiness, and help to identify how plans and procedures for managing disease can be improved.

A National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) will be established in London as part of the exercise, alongside multiple Local Disease Control Centres (LDCCs) in locations which are yet to be confirmed.

In addition, a Disease Strategy Group (DSG) will be set up in Edinburgh, an Emergency Coordination Centre (Wales) (ECC(W)) in Cardiff and a Central Epizootic Disease Control Centre (CEDCC) in Belfast.

Gordon Hickman, head of contingency planning and regulatory affairs for AHVLA, said: “Exercises such as this allow us to identify better ways of working, and help ensure our approach to managing a significant disease outbreak is properly coordinated.

“We must continue to test and improve our disease control measures, and put ourselves in the best possible position to minimise the impact on farmers and their livestock should the worst occur.”

Mr Hickman believes exercise Walnut will help to ensure that Government is prepared to respond to future disease outbreaks.

An evaluation report for Walnut will be published later in 2013.