Abstract
Recent experiences with avian influenza outbreaks in poultry in the United States have tested biosecurity protocols and outbreak management strategies. During an outbreak, regulatory officials managing the emergency response need to make timely decisions in order to achieve disease control and eradication goals while simultaneously decreasing the unintended consequences of the response. To move susceptible animals or animal products out of a disease Control Area via a secure food supply continuity of business (COB) permit without the risk of expanding a disease outbreak, premises must be designated as Monitored Premises (MP) by regulatory officials. The experience of and lessons learned from the 2014 to 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak have resulted in defined criteria necessary to establish MP status during an HPAI outbreak and highlighted the need for a clear method to determine that those criteria have been met. Establishing MP status is different from an epidemiologic investigation, though they both require analyses of how avian influenza virus may enter poultry premises and can take significant staff time. MP status of premises seeking to move animals or animal products must be continuously re-evaluated as Infected Premises status, and resulting epidemiologic contacts, can rapidly change during an outbreak. We present here a questionnaire to establish MP status, designed to be initially completed by industry representatives in an attempt to streamline processes and conserve resources. During an outbreak, the MP status questionnaire is an essential risk-based management tool used to establish premises status, as part of operationalizing permitted movement to support COB.
Highlights
The process for moving animals and animal products in the United States (US) can be challenging to implement when quarantine and movement control activities are in place to contain and eradicate a foreign animal disease (FAD) such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)
Quarantine and movement restrictions are important tools in controlling and eradicating any FAD outbreak; there remain multiple types of movements that occur during an FAD outbreak that are critical to the vitality of the animal agriculture business and which can be done with minimal risk of spreading disease
According to the 2017 Red Book, Monitored Premises (MP) meet a set of defined criteria in seeking to move susceptible birds or poultry products out of the HPAI Control Area by permit; these criteria are based on the level of risk of the movement and are set out by the Secure Poultry Supply Plan
Summary
The process for moving animals and animal products in the United States (US) can be challenging to implement when quarantine and movement control activities are in place to contain and eradicate a foreign animal disease (FAD) such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Facilitating the movement of non-infected animals and non-contaminated animal products into, within, and out of a disease Control Area during a disease outbreak, Establishing Monitored Premises Status while minimizing risk of disease introduction and/or spread, is critical in order to maintain continuity of business (COB) for animal agricultural industries (1, 2). Regulatory officials work to determine appropriate premises designations (i.e., Infected, Contact, Suspect, At-Risk, and Monitored) for other poultry operations within that Control Area (Figure 1). Quarantine and movement restrictions are important tools in controlling and eradicating any FAD outbreak; there remain multiple types of movements that occur during an FAD outbreak that are critical to the vitality of the animal agriculture business and which can be done with minimal risk of spreading disease (e.g., movements of feed, liquid pasteurized egg products, processed meat, or newly hatched birds). It is important to note that outbreakspecific circumstances cannot be predicted in advance and movement permitting decisions may depend on relevant risk and epidemiologic determinations made by regulatory officials for any given outbreak
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