The Government’s Efforts Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease

April 2, 2001

All Canadians are aware of the terrible outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the United Kingdom as well as in European Union countries (France, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland) and Argentina.

Though FMD poses no threat to humans, an outbreak of this highly contagious disease would have a devastating effect on Canada’s livestock (cattle, swine, sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants), with losses reaching billions of dollars in the first year.

Canada has been free of FMD since 1952, and our government is determined to keep it that way. That is why the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in cooperation with Canadian livestock and food industry partners, has put in place a series of measures designed to significantly reduce the chances of FMD spreading to Canada:

• The CFIA is prohibiting importation of susceptible animals and animal products from the EU and Argentina. The CFIA has suspended the issuance of import permits for live animals, semen, embryos and animal products – such as unprocessed dairy products – from susceptible animals.
• The CFIA and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) have increased controls and implemented enhanced risk management measures to further increase vigilance at all international airports. This includes the use of disinfectant footbaths for all international flights and increased detector dog activity.
• Compliance investigations for the handling and disposal of international garbage at airports and seaports have been increased. The Department of National Defence has developed, in cooperation with the CFIA, a national directive on biosecurity measures for incoming personnel and equipment.

As we implement the preventive measures, Canada remains ready to contain and eradicate any outbreak of FMD in Canada swiftly and effectively.

The CFIA has developed a very detailed emergency response plan for FMD – a plan that is revised regularly to improve our response capability. In fact, Canada, the United States and Mexico took part, in November 2000, in a simulation of a North American outbreak of FMD – an exercise carried out so that the three countries could practice their respective and collective animal disease emergency response plans.

The current strategy is designed to quickly identify all exposed premises, depopulate exposed and potentially exposed high-risk animals, decontaminate the environment and avoid further spread, so that Canada could regain its FMD-free status without delay.

However, because of the ease with which FMD can be carried and transmitted, the CFIA has also asked Canadians to observe the following precautions:

• Declare all meat, dairy or other animal products that you want to bring back to Canada.
• If you visited a farm while abroad make sure that the clothing and footwear you wore during your visit are free from soil or manure. Clean and disinfect your footwear. Dry cleaning of clothes is recommended.
• Stay away from Canadian farms for 14 days after returning to Canada.

• Prevent farm or ranch visits by anyone who has been to the United Kingdom in the last 14 days.
• If visitors must come to the farm they should take additional sanitary precautions such as washing and disinfecting all personal effects and equipment that have accompanied them. It is particularly important to clean and disinfect footwear.