Health and Welfare Considered at World Dairy Summit

GLOBAL - The World Dairy Summit, while an important networking and discussion forum for processors, traders and policy makers, also hosted some leading bovine health and welfare experts.
calendar icon 1 November 2013
clock icon 2 minute read

The Summit's Animal Health and Welfare session revealed that Rinderpest eradication success is going to be used to inform the OIE’s peste des petits ruminants control programme.

Dr Elisabeth Erlacher-Vindel from the World Organisation for Animal Health addressed the conference in her key note speech on Animal Health and Welfare, concentrating on the eradicated status of the virus.

She explained that Rinderpest is unique, being the only animal disease to have been successfully eradicated from the world, adding that it was still held in 40 laboratories after official declaration in May 2011.

The OIE has previously noted that the post-eradication era brings a different set of challenges as the chance of outbreak is diminished but still possible. The prospect of accidental release or a purposeful act of terrorism has the OIE assessing ways to safely destroy the remaining viruses to a minimal number at approved facilities.

In her talk, Dr Erlacher-Vindel guided the conference through the OIE’s role in categorising disease risk and communicating outbreaks of Rinderpest and other diseases.

The decision whether or not a Schmallenberg virus chapter should be added to the Terrestrial Animal Health Code for next year is one such example of the disease recognition options over which the OIE presides.

Furthermore, she explored the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control classifications that are imposed on countries, forming a barrier to trade and livestock movement.

Three official FMD status levels were laid out by Dr Erlacher-Vindel. These were; FMD-Free, FMD-free with vaccination and FMD control programme.

The theme of the summit was “Rediscovering Milk” which, as well as alluding to nutritional messages, was aimed at Asian markets, where confidence has been hit by several food safety scares in recent years.

This topic was broached by fellow OIE colleague Dr Frank Berthe, who discussed how animal welfare can link through the supply chain to food safety, as well as farm economics, shedding light on integrated supply chain management aspirations.

Conference Programme Organiser Yataro Kokubo said: “The objective of this conference is to contribute to the development of supply chain management by sharing and discussing global trends in risk management and future issues. The main theme of this Conference is “Risk management of dairy products by the integrated supply chain approach.”

Michael Priestley

Michael Priestley
News Team - Editor

Mainly production and market stories on ruminants sector. Works closely with sustainability consultants at FAI Farms

 
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