Story by OSU Student Kalley Whitlock
Prior to the 2023 World Pork Expo (WPX), the National Pork Board (NPB) held a tabletop exercise specific to show pig industry leaders across the nation. As a passionate show pig enthusiast, an Oklahoma State University (OSU) student who previously participated in Oklahoma Pork's collegiate leadership program Pork Industry Group, and a contract employee helping Oklahoma Pork to work with Oklahoma's show pig community to develop Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plans - attending this exercise in Iowa was a special and eye-opening experience for me.
Below is my summary of the meaningful Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) preparedness event.
NPB's Director of Consumer Public Relations Jason Menke introduced the organization's three crisis management objectives which are protect, promote, and prevent. He educated the group on assessing risk and a step-by-step crisis response plan.
Assistant Chief Veterinarian at NPB, Dr. Patrick Webb discussed FAD preparedness risks including travelers introducing disease into the country and the persistent threat of feral swine. He educated the group on specific characteristics, symptoms, and control measures related to African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Dr. Webb also outlined the critical control steps for animal disease disasters and how to react. During his presentation to this show-focused audience, he stressed the significance of rapid detection and notifying local and state veterinarians. He explained what disease control areas are, how they are established, and what that means for producers in the control areas. He briefly explained the significance of SPS plans and demonstrated the use of Agview from both a producer and veterinarian perspective. Dr. Webb made a point to stress the importance of using Agview and traceability of animal movements to continue to business in an outbreak.
Bruce Spence was the final speaker of the day, and he explained the need to establish roles and responsibilities in a structured command system. He discussed the importance of allocating resources and how an incident can consume resources rapidly. This discussion led into the afternoon’s activity of the tabletop exercise. Throughout the exercise, the group staged different FAD outbreak scenarios and discussed the best potential ways to react in each situation. The meeting concluded with a feedback session for show pig producers to ask questions and share insights from their own experiences. During this sharing, the group discussed the need for proper communication and education for the show pig industry and the importance of a clear plan in case of an FAD outbreak.