The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is set to join forces with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to refine its biosecurity strategy to manage African swine flu (ASF).
NSW Chief Veterinary Officer and DPI Animal Biosecurity group director, Sarah Britton said a simulated exercise between DPI, Local Land Services, the Australian Animal Health Laboratory and London-based DEFRA would refine biosecurity risk assessments for movement during an ASF outbreak.
“Exercise Waratah is a three-day pilot project providing essential information to build the skills and competency of specialised teams who make the rapid risk assessments which would be needed in an ASF biosecurity emergency,” Dr Britton said.
“The focus is on assessing what movement restrictions should be put in place to best manage an ASF outbreak, how they will work in the real world and when any movement restrictions can be lifted,” she said.
“Exercises such as this help fortify biosecurity to safeguard agricultural production, our environment and communities.”
Dr Britton said ASF was a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs that is established in Asia and parts of Europe and continues to spread.
She said ASF had no vaccine and killed about 80 per cent of the pigs which became infected.
“ASF has never occurred in Australia or the UK,” she said.
“An outbreak would be devastating for our pig production and health and damaging to our trade and the economy.”
Dr Britton said ASF’s changing distribution meant it was a significant biosecurity threat to Australia.
