LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – Protecting Canadians and their livestock against contagious disease is an ongoing defence operation for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Every disease has its own system for diagnosis, assessment of transmission methods, cures, cleanup and an evaluation of potential damage to the domestic industry.
“We do not have any two protocols that are the same,” CFIA veterinarian John Nightingale said during a national beef science seminar held in Lethbridge Nov. 14.
Scientists need to be aware of new research and overseas experiences in dealing with diseases. Besides developing specific instructions for dealing with potential infections, the CFIA has joined other groups, including government scientists, to conduct simulations of disease outbreaks to test emergency procedures.
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“We do not have the manpower to manage and deal with an outbreak of a foreign animal disease on our own,” Nightingale said.
If such a disease struck the country, all levels of government, from federal to municipal, would be involved to clear the disease and deal with infected animals.
Diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy and foot-and-mouth, which decimated the British livestock industry, remind Canadian producers of the importance of keeping out such infections.
However, there are a number of homegrown diseases that are just as serious and may infect various species including humans. Plans have been developed for a list of diseases highlighted by Nightingale during his presentation.
Anthrax is a spore-borne bacterial disease that has existed for centuries throughout the world. Last summer about 100 animals died from anthrax at Wood Buffalo National Park on the Alberta-Northwest Territories border. Several isolated cases were also reported in southern Alberta.
It is a highly resistant organism that can survive for more than 50 years. Vaccines are available for animals at risk. Infected carcasses are burned and buried.
Foot-and-mouth disease is on the wane in Great Britain. It is highly transmissible through various means, including horses’ hoofs, tires and people’s shoes. Widespread health security measures were implemented last spring to keep it from entering North America. Keeping such a disease out of the country is CFIA’s first line of defence.
Pullorum is a chicken disease carried in eggs. It is classified as a foreign animal disease and results in a high mortality rate in pullets. Widespread cleanup is required to remove the infection. British Columbia has reported a few isolated cases among imported exotic birds. It has not existed in the rest of the country since 1983.
Swamp fever in horses is an acute disease transmitted by biting flies and dirty needles. The virus does not survive well outside of the animal and cleanup is not a major problem.
Anaplasmosis is a disease of ruminants transmitted by ticks and contaminated needles. Aggressive antibiotic treatment used to be considered an adequate treatment plan, but science has since learned those animals can still be carriers.
The best strategy is killing infected animals and controlling ticks.
BSE and associated encephalopathies such as chronic wasting disease continue to raise concerns. A number of farmed elk in Saskatchewan have been killed after positive cases of the fatal brain disease were discovered. The carcasses were buried in a six metre deep pit and covered with lime. The aberrant prion believed responsible for the disease is highly resistant to heat.
