Advisory Committee of Foreign Animal Diseases

August 17, 2007 - The Secretary of Agriculture's Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases will meet Aug. 21-22 to discuss the U.S. animal health emergency management system and the U.S. response to foreign animal diseases worldwide. The meeting on Aug. 21 is open to the public and is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 107-A.

Items to be covered on Tuesday, Aug. 21, include disease prevention, disease response, avian influenza, food and mouth disease, rift valley fever and the National Animal Identification System.

The committee, which is comprised of animal health experts from universities, industry and state departments of agriculture, advises the Secretary on actions necessary to prevent the introduction of foreign livestock and poultry diseases into the United States. In addition, the committee advises on contingency planning and on maintaining a state of preparedness to deal with these diseases, if introduced.

It was also announced this week that the Secretary of Agriculture intends to re-establish the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases for a two-year period. The secretary has determined that the committee is necessary and in the public interest.

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