Canada joins international agreements that establish animal disease outbreak protocols

by SUSAN MANN

Canada will share staff and vaccines with other countries experiencing animal disease outbreaks as outlined in agreements it signed at an international animal health organization meeting in Paris earlier this week.

The three agreements Canada signed will “contribute to maintaining safe and fair trade during animal disease outbreaks, and show Canada’s support for the international animal health standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health,” Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesperson Tammy Jarbeau says by email.

The agreements were signed at the World Organisation for Animal Health’s 84th general session.

One of the agreements is called the International Animal Health Emergency Reserve. It was also signed by Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

It enables the participants to “share personnel during critical times” and will help the countries to respond quicker and more effectively in controlling and eradicating an outbreak, she says.  “It will also provide valuable experience in outbreak management and response to the personnel of all participating countries.”

Another deal calls for participating countries (Canada, Mexico, the U.S., New Zealand and Australia) to share foot-and-mouth vaccines during an outbreak.

All five countries have foot-and-mouth vaccine banks, Jarbeau says. The agreement spells out procedures to quickly process requests from participating countries when they need additional supplies of vaccine during an outbreak.

A third agreement calls for four countries, including Canada, to recognize each other’s zoning arrangements for foreign animal disease outbreaks. The other three countries are: the U.S., New Zealand and Australia.

“By initiating a review process to better understand and accept each other’s processes for managing outbreaks, the participating countries can use this arrangement to facilitate the resumption of trade from zones that remain disease free,” Jarbeau says.

The deal will also help the countries continue trade from zones within their borders where an animal disease is occurring, if the risks of introducing the disease can be effectively managed by applying import conditions, such as product treatments, she notes. BF