Preparation for future exotic diseases
A recent partnership day held by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) enabled industry representatives to discuss improving the control of future exotic disease outbreaks.
Among the major concerns, ensuring animal welfare, managing the media and keeping market confidence were highlighted as of upmost importance.
The day also provided the opportunity for the poultry industry and the AHVLA to reflect on past outbreaks.
It was agreed that the avian influenza outbreak in 2006 was handled well by both sides, with Mark Williams, of the British Egg Industry Council, describing keeping market confidence in the poultry industry as "everything".
He stressed that tightened legislation meant movement licences had to be granted quickly, where appropriate, to enable the supply chain to remain undisrupted.
Commenting on the the control of communication between the media, Defra and local farmers, Mr Williams said: "The partnership has worked wonderfully well, and is a powerful way of dealing with things."
Questions were also raised during the day over the use of the term "outbreak", particularly when the risk of disease is very low.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
