Category Archives: FMD News
Global Events Prompt Local Vigilance
Sometimes I am asked why we should worry about foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the US when we have been free of the disease since 1929. News reports, feature articles, and press releases circulating in recent months provide ample justification. To … Continue reading
UK Livestock Disease Nightmare Began 10 Years Ago
This month marks the 10th anniversary since the diagnosis of FMD in the United Kingdom in February 2001. Several 10th anniversary articles have been published recently. Here is one that poignantly describes the pain and the resilience of those affected. … Continue reading
FMD closes South Korea markets
South Korea was unable to shake off foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in 2010. As the third outbreak of the year continues into 2011, the cull in South Korea has now surpassed the total of the 2002 outbreak (160,000) by 4-fold, reaching … Continue reading
Assessment of a Risky Proposition
The livestock newswires are heating up about the recent release of a site-specific risk assessment and review of that assessment for the National Biosecurity and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to be built in Manhattan, KS. This facility is intended to house … Continue reading
Normal Accidents Theory
Charles Perrow, Professor Emeritus of Sociology of Yale University, wrote “Normal Accidents: Living with High Risk Technologies.” He defines normal accidents as “the interaction of multiple failures that are not in a direct operational sequence” (p. 23). A good example … Continue reading
Butterwick Farms
Today I visited Butterwick Farm, owned by John and Lisa Roberts, in West Cornwall, Vt, with Cheryl Dorschner, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Senior Communications Professional. It turns out that the biosecurity project I am leading has been selected … Continue reading
What Does Exercising Have to do with Ag Emergency Preparedness?
Find out by watching Across the Fence just after the noon news Tuesday July 13 on WCAX, Channel 3. Tim Bouton, Senior Planner with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, and I discuss why we need to practice and how … Continue reading
Exercising Your Mind
A month ago (8 June) at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, IA, more than 80 attendees representing production agriculture, law enforcement, media, and state and federal governments participated in a table-top exercise based on a simulated foot-and-mouth disease … Continue reading
Lessons Learned
Twenty years of safe deep water drilling did not excuse the oil industry for not being prepared for its recent disaster; 80 years without an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease does not let US livestock industries off the hook from having … Continue reading
Exercising Plans
In Addison County, we identify and prioritize training and exercises during an annual training and exercise workshop. Emergency operations plans (EOP) must be “exercised” to make sure they are up-to-date and that everyone involved understands their role. Think of “exercising” … Continue reading
