Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: April 5, 2006

Government, Industry Groups Participate in Operation A.I.

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Operation A.I. sounds like a theme from a Mission Impossible movie; however, it was anything but a science fiction gathering. A.I. stands for Avian Influenza, and representatives from 35 different federal, state and local agencies gathered in Neosho last week for the Southwest Missouri Poultry Disease Exercise to discuss the possibilities of a disease outbreak in Missouri.

The event, coordinated by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, was designed to provide participants an opportunity to gain an understanding of the problems they could face in the event of a poultry disease outbreak. According to Rose Foster, coordinator of the Missouri Poultry Health Program, an exercise such as this is important in the ongoing preparation to deal with a potential AI outbreak in poultry.

“It is our mission to be prepared for such an incident in our state,” said Foster. “A disease outbreak such as this could cripple our poultry industry’s economy. We must be diligent in our efforts to protect our producers and our consumers.” The exercise focused on the overall response and decision-making process by the involved private and government agencies to a simulated disease outbreak. The participants were divided into separate groups and able to compare responses.

Shane Brookshire, Missouri State Veterinarian, was on-hand to open the exercise. “It is critical that our agencies work together to be prepared for an outbreak, while allaying public fears that would surround such an event,” he said. “We must help the public realize that an outbreak of Avian Influenza in poultry does not signal an outbreak in humans.”

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt was pleased with the cooperation shown in the event. “Anytime government can work together with private industry is a real benefit to the citizens of Missouri,” he remarked.

Other Missouri state agencies represented were the Missouri Departments of Health and Senior Services, Natural Resources, Mental Health, Transportation, the University of Missouri Veterinary Medicine and Diagnostic Laboratory, Missouri State University and the Highway Patrol. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture were also present.

Local agencies taking part in the exercise were the Greene County Health Department, Greene County Office of Emergency Management, McDonald County Health Department, Newton County Office of Emergency Management, Newton County Health Department, Newton County Ambulance District, Neosho Fire and Rescue, Taney County Health Department, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, Jasper County Office of Emergency Management, City of Joplin Health Department and Ozark Health Ventures.

Industry representatives participating were from the 3-D Corporation, The Poultry Federation, Ag Forte LLC, Southwest City Livestock Auction, Tyson, ConAgra, MoARK, Simmons Foods, George’s Inc., Country Care Clinic, Willow Brook Foods and Cargill.

[ Print | Back ]