Sally Furniss
New member
Exercise Wild Boar To Be Held This Week
http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewRelease&id=3160&d=5
An exercise aimed at examining the Northern Territory?s response to a simulated exotic disease outbreak will be held in Darwin this week, Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Chris Natt said today.
?Exercise Wild Boar is a vital part of the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines (DPIFM) emergency preparedness planning,? Mr Natt said.
?The exercise will simulate an outbreak of Classic Swine Fever (CSF) in domestic pigs in Darwin?s rural area and in feral pigs in the Mary River area and is designed to evaluate DPIFM?s response to an outbreak of emergency animal disease (EAD) in the Northern Territory.
?CSF, also known as hog cholera, is a highly contagious viral infection of pigs that is often fatal. The virus is most often transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated feed or garbage.?
Mr Natt said Australia is free of CSF - although it is found in South-East Asia - emphasising the importance and relevance of Exercise Wild Boar.
He said Exercise Wild Boar would test the running of a State Disease Control Headquarters (SDCHQ) from DPIFM?s Berrimah Farm with participants being fed information and scenarios by the control team running the exercise.
?In this way those involved will be making decisions and reacting to information as they would in a real situation,? Mr Natt said.
?I need to stress there are no real on-ground activities taking place in this simulation.
?The exercise is testing organisation, response decisions and the overall functioning of DPIFM?s plan.?
Mr Natt said the Equine Influenza response currently being dealt with in New South Wales and Queensland demonstrated the need to have a tried and tested emergency plans available to contain EAD outbreaks.
He said Exercise Wild Boar would be followed next year by a much larger exercise to further test on-ground operations.
Exercise Wild Boar is set to be held on 23-24 October.
http://newsroom.nt.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewRelease&id=3160&d=5
An exercise aimed at examining the Northern Territory?s response to a simulated exotic disease outbreak will be held in Darwin this week, Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister Chris Natt said today.
?Exercise Wild Boar is a vital part of the Department of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Mines (DPIFM) emergency preparedness planning,? Mr Natt said.
?The exercise will simulate an outbreak of Classic Swine Fever (CSF) in domestic pigs in Darwin?s rural area and in feral pigs in the Mary River area and is designed to evaluate DPIFM?s response to an outbreak of emergency animal disease (EAD) in the Northern Territory.
?CSF, also known as hog cholera, is a highly contagious viral infection of pigs that is often fatal. The virus is most often transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated feed or garbage.?
Mr Natt said Australia is free of CSF - although it is found in South-East Asia - emphasising the importance and relevance of Exercise Wild Boar.
He said Exercise Wild Boar would test the running of a State Disease Control Headquarters (SDCHQ) from DPIFM?s Berrimah Farm with participants being fed information and scenarios by the control team running the exercise.
?In this way those involved will be making decisions and reacting to information as they would in a real situation,? Mr Natt said.
?I need to stress there are no real on-ground activities taking place in this simulation.
?The exercise is testing organisation, response decisions and the overall functioning of DPIFM?s plan.?
Mr Natt said the Equine Influenza response currently being dealt with in New South Wales and Queensland demonstrated the need to have a tried and tested emergency plans available to contain EAD outbreaks.
He said Exercise Wild Boar would be followed next year by a much larger exercise to further test on-ground operations.
Exercise Wild Boar is set to be held on 23-24 October.