Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to learn, observe, and become a fan of women’s collegiate rowing. While traveling many miles across the country in recent months as a fan, the similarities between the sport and our preparation, response, and recovery to the introduction of a transboundary disease has become apparent. For most of these athletes, participation in the sport begins when they arrive at college with no prior experience. All of them had been successful athletes in other sports and now face a steep technical learning curve under more challenging physical conditioning than most had experienced in the past.
Similarly, most swine veterinarians have experience with the successful management of endemic diseases, but most have not experienced a transboundary disease or been directly involved in the response to an introduction. These veterinarians would face a similar steep learning curve to better understand the disease and learn from the experiences of others to prepare and plan. In both cases, the “I have never done this before, but I am going to continue to learn, practice, and prepare” philosophy is similar. The continued dedication to increasing technical knowledge as well as repeated practice and improvement leads to a better outcome during the race, or introduction of a transboundary disease.
Complacency destroys progress resulting in less favorable outcomes. As a profession, we must continue to challenge each other and our preparedness and response plans to assure that we, and the producers who we serve, are best prepared to keep these diseases from entering the country and respond rapidly and efficiently if they are introduced. Members of AASV have had, and continue to play, an integral role in the development of these plans including the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) Continuity of Business Plan, the Certified Swine Sample Collector (CSSC) training program, and the US Swine Health Improvement Plan (USSHIP).
In rowing, a boat consists of either 4 or 8 rowers plus a coxswain. While each of the rowers have slightly different technical roles, they must function as a single synchronous unit to efficiently propel the boat forward to be successful in competition. The rowers represent all the varied plans and participants in transboundary disease preparedness and response including producers, federal and state animal health officials, National Animal Health Laboratory Network, SPS, CSSC, and USSHIP. While all these groups and programs have different roles, they all must operate synchronously and to the best of their capability to assure exceptional preparedness and response. The coaches are critical in the preparation for the race, orchestrating technical training, physical conditioning, and nutrition through repeated practice and continual improvement. The coach’s role is limited once the race starts, and success is dependent on the team in the boat to put all the practice and preparation into action against their competitors. The race is analogous to the response to a transboundary disease introduction, with the outcome being dependent on the ability to synchronously apply all the preparation and planning from many individuals and groups.
The coxswain is the person who directs the team during the race and serves as the eyes, ears, and mouth of the boat. They become the “coach in the boat!” The swine veterinarian is similar to the coxswain, as they are the common link between the producer, animal health officials, biosecurity, disease surveillance, and regulated animal movements. The coxswain lets the rowers know where they are in relationship to the other boats and how much farther they have to go. A coxswain must know rowing techniques so that if a correction is necessary, he or she will know what to do and why to do it. Similarly, the swine veterinarian has the broad technical knowledge and involvement in all aspects of preparation and response that allows them to assess the current situation and provide coordination and guidance to adapt the response to the ever-changing situation. Like the coxswain, the veterinarian must be a good motivator, provide guidance, and facilitate coordination and cooperation to result in success. As we continue to prepare, it is important to know what seats are on the boat, and the role each seat plays. More importantly, it is critical that all the seats continue to communicate and coordinate to assure a positive outcome.
Mike Senn, DVM, MS
AASV President