The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated its FMD Response Plan for the United States as part of continued efforts to strengthen response capabilities in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. [Source: USDA 23 November 2020]
This updated plan–USDA APHIS FMD Response Plan: The Red Book October 2020–is comprehensive. Key revisions are as follows:
- Explicit recognition of policy that vaccine is a likely response tool in an FMD outbreak.
- Includes current text of the World Organization for Animal Health Terrestrial Animal Health Code FMD Chapter.
- Surveillance sections updated by the Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health.
- Templates for epidemiology questionnaires and State FMD vaccine planning.
- Streamlined FMD content into four chapters: (1) general information; (2) national roles, responsibilities, and authorities; (3) response goals and strategy; and (4) critical response activities.
- "Essentials" sidebars for critical activities that highlight available training resources and planning considerations.
- Guidance on managing a national movement standstill prepared for the Agriculture Response Management and Resources (ARMAR) 2018 functional exercise.
Emergency planners–particularly those preparing for the Southern Animal Health Association FMD functional exercise slated for November 2021–will find the updated material and format useful. The next plan will incorporate updated national policy guidance and/or lessons learned from multiple FAD response experiences and exercises.
The Red Book FMD Response Plan may be accessed here. All other FAD PReP materials are accessible here. We invite all feedback on the response plan and FAD PReP materials which may be sent to FAD.PReP.Comments@usda.gov.