One of the challenges facing the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as it tries to guard against foot-and-mouth disease is that its officials, as well as farmers, are not familiar with the disease, a senior CFIA official says.
The agency has sent information packets to describe symptoms to veterinarians and abattoirs across Canada. They likely would be the first ones exposed to infected animals.
As well, 10 agency veterinarians have been in the United Kingdom for most of March, watching the horror of a foot-and-mouth disease epidemic up close. More will be going in April.
Read Also
Canola support gets mixed response
A series of canola industry support measures announced by the federal government are being met with mixed reviews.
André Gravel, executive vice-president of the CFIA, said last week the vets are there to help their British colleagues, but also to help gain some experience about the disease.
“Nobody in the system now was here in 1952, the last time we had it in Canada,” he said on March 20 during an appearance before the House of Commons agriculture committee.
Bloc Québecois MP Suzanne Tremblay criticized the agency for sending veterinarians away when they might be needed here.
“How can you justify sending veterinarians to England,” she asked.
“That means there will be a shortage here.”
Gravel said the decision to send vets to the U.K. was made both for humanitarian reasons and self-interest.
“They were sent to the U.K. to help a country that needs help,” he said.
“It also allows veterinarians to work in the field. They will have a better idea of whether there is anything else in our system we need to do.”
Under questioning from MPs, Gravel said the CFIA is being vigilant.
“We’re in good shape, we have a good plan,” he said.
Part of that plan is to educate vets and abattoir workers.
He said part of the reason the disease appears to be so widespread in England is that for weeks, it was carried and transmitted by sheep, which do not show the typical foot-and-mouth symptoms.
But he said he could not guarantee that the virus will not make it through the defence system and into Canada.
“There is a low probability, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen.”
If it does surface, Canadian officials said they are prepared to do whatever has to be done to contain and eradicate the disease.
