Using field exercises along with public-private partnerships to increase awareness and acceptance of cintinuity of business and secure food supply

In the event of an HPAI outbreak in the US poultry industry, regulatory measures will be taken to contain and eradicate the disease expediently. Limitations on movement of eggs and egg industry products into, out of, and within an HPAI Control Area will be applied. However, these restrictions directly oppose the egg industry’s need to continue to move uninfected product to commerce to avoid storage/disposal and economic crises, and to supply eggs to consumers. With the ever-present risk of an HPAI outbreak in the US, whether introduced through trade or human travel, wild bird migration, or re-assortment of previously circulating influenza viruses leading to emergence of a highly pathogenic strain, business continuity planning is of great importance to protect farmer livelihoods and animal welfare, and to avoid disruption of the food supply.

 

The SES Plan was developed by a collaborative public-private-academic team (Egg Sector Working Group) which consists of members from the University of Minnesota Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS), Iowa State University Center for Food Security and Public Health (CFSPH), United Egg Producers (UEP), egg sector veterinarians and officials, state officials, and risk analysts from the USDA, APHIS, VS, and CEAH. The initial step in SES Plan development was a literature review of studies on HPAI transmission dynamics, product-specific risk assessments (RAs), and management of non-infected premises. Examination of previous research findings served as a basis for proactive RAs on the survivability and transmissibility of avian influenza in eggs and egg industry products. Entry and exposure assessments were performed for the following commodities: pasteurized and non-pasteurized liquid eggs, washed and sanitized shell eggs, nest run shell eggs, shells and inedible eggs, hatching eggs, day-old chicks and manure (completion of the latter is currently in progress). Risk analysts combined data obtained in the literature review with the following considerations: characteristics of HPAI in infected hens and HPAI spread within an infected table-egg layer flock; likelihood of eggs laid by HPAI-infected chickens being contaminated with virus; variability in detecting HPAI infection with various active surveillance protocols given the prevalence of HPAI in pools of daily mortality; and the frequency of product movement. After taking into consideration product-specific and general biosecurity, specified product movements were assigned risk designations. Additionally, normal production and mortality parameters were established through expert opinion and published research to develop surveillance guidelines and testing for HPAI via RRT-PCR. RAs and mortality/production parameters serve as the bases for development of voluntary preparedness components and permit requirements for movement of eggs and egg industry products from infected but undetected flocks into, out of, and within an HPAI Control Area.

 

In the event of an HPAI outbreak, producers who wish to obtain a permit must fulfill a series of steps. Premises traceability information must be provided to the State coordinator. Next, flock production parameters must be normal. Daily flock observation for abnormal clinical signs, egg production rate, and mortality rate must be performed by the producer. The normal production parameters are defined as daily mortality of less than three times the past seven d average or less than 0.03 percent. Daily surveillance consists of one RRT-PCR test for each pooled sample of five dead or euthanized sick chickens or 11 dead or euthanized sick chickens per 50 dead chickens from each house on the premises. A minimum of five dead chickens or 11 dead chickens from daily mortality or from euthanized sick birds from each flock must be tested each day. Biosecurity and cleaning and disinfection steps must be in place for the transporting truck and driver; product-specific steps have also been mandated for premises, people, flock, pest control, equipment and egg-handling materials, feed and water, and manure removal. The aforementioned epidemiological assessment must be completed for the farm of origin, with no findings indicating dangerous contacts with Infected Premises. Finally, a product-specific one- to two-day hold on movement must be respected, pending the analogous receipt of one or two negative daily RRT-PCR tests from the flock of origin.

The Voluntary Preparedness Requirements were developed to allow for expedited receipt of a movement permit in the event of an HPAI outbreak. Essentially, producers complete portions of permit requirements proactively and egg farms preapproved by the State Animal Health Official (SAHO) or the USDA Assistant District Director will be subject to audited minimum biosecurity standards. Nonparticipatory producers will face additional delays in moving their products while animal health regulatory officials designated by the Incident Commander ascertain premises’ biosecurity practices, determine exposure to dangerous contacts with Infected Premises, and conduct daily surveillance of flocks in the Control Area. Voluntary pre-enrollment consists of the following:

• Compliance with an audited 45-measure biosecurity checklist consisting of implementations that would reduce the risk of introducing HPAI virus onto the farm,

• Provision of location/traceability verification - premises ID, GPS coordinates,

• Training on completion of the epidemiological questionnaire and entry of flock data into the secure SES data portal, and

• Training on procedures to collect and submit samples for the active surveillance program using RRT-PCR.

 

The SES Plan is currently in the outreach and implementation phase of its development. Some States have already developed and adopted memoranda of understanding or other mechanisms to implement the SES Plan during an outbreak. During the 2015 calendar year, regional meetings are planned to bring together animal health officials, academic and industry representatives from the Pacific, Southeast, and Northeast States and Minnesota. Key stakeholders in States of interest were identified through SES team members’ contacts and referrals provided by these initial contacts. Meeting activities include presentations by HPAI subject matter experts, table-top exercises, and movement exercises at farm and processing facilities. The SES team is also working to develop website material streamlined for the producer community and branding the SES name with the assistance of graphic design personnel.

Further information and materials can be found at http://secureeggsupply.com. Funding for development of the SES Plan was provided by USDA APHIS and the American Egg Board. Further funding for outreach and implementation of the plan has been provided by USDA APHIS.