World Dairy Expo

World Dairy Expo Biosecurity Plan
Effective 2001

Background

World Dairy Expo is a not-for-profit organization that is governed by a board of directors made up of dairy cattle producers and dairy industry representatives. Their personal livelihood is reliant upon a successful international dairy industry. They are extremely concerned about the issue of biosecurity and are committed to taking all reasonable steps to insure the safety of those that attend and participate in World Dairy Expo and the health of the North American dairy herd.
World Dairy Expo is committed to providing all reasonable methods of biosecurity - not just for FMD - but for all contagious and infectious diseases including IBR, BVD and Johnes.
FMD is not a new problem for the world. Two-thirds of the world lives with FMD on an ongoing basis. They have it and are doing little, if anything, to eliminate it. At the 2000 World Dairy Expo, there were over 1,100 visitors from countries that have FMD. They visited the show, viewed the cattle and were out on farms. However, it has been an outbreak in an industrialized, English speaking country that has created a media and public frenzy about a disease that has been a threat to the North American agricultural industry for 100 years.
This attention has created an awareness that is good. Increased surveillance at the borders or points of entry will further reduce the risk of foreign disease contamination and hopefully, increase individual compliance with international travel recommendations.
There is NO FMD in North America. Only cattle from North America are exhibited at World Dairy Expo. If international visitors are screened appropriately at ports of entry, there is virtually no risk of the disease accidentally entering this country.
The primary method of FMD transmittal is from animal product to animal or animal to animal. There are no documented cases of a human transmitting the disease to an animal. If a human was going to transmit the disease, the most likely method would be with the virus encased in manure on their shoes. Therefore, clean shoes and clothing is an extremely effective method of prevention.
Increased biosecurity efforts will be in effect starting in 2001 and continuing into the future. Again, while the outbreak of the disease in Europe has not substantially increased the risk, control of the disease in Europe will not substantially decrease the risk.

Biosecurity Measures

Informational mailing to all show participants explaining World Dairy Expo's Biosecurity Plan and FMD facts.

This includes all cattle exhibitors, commercial exhibitors, volunteers and members of the agricultural media.
World Dairy Expo's practice of offering organized farm tours for attendees to local producer's operations have been replaced with new Virtual Farm Tours taking place on-grounds.
International visitors who have been in a FMD infected country, are asked to:
- Stay off farms for 5 days before coming to World Dairy Expo.
- Launder their clothing before coming to World Dairy Expo.
- Sanitize their shoes before coming to World Dairy Expo.
- Not bring any food products into the United States.
- Follow all other USDA and immigration recommendations.

These requests will be communicated through World Dairy Expo's web site, international publication advertising and news releases.
Upon entering the grounds all World Dairy Expo attendees will be given an instructional sheet, asking in multiple languages if they have been in a foreign country other than Canada and Mexico in the last five days.

If yes, they will be asked to report immediately to International Registration located in the Coliseum's East Lobby.
Signs will be placed at the entrances to the grounds, asking any individuals who have been in a foreign country other than Canada and Mexico in the last five days to report immediately to International Registration.
At International Registration the fore mentioned individuals and all international attendees will be asked if they have been in a foreign country other than Mexico and Canada in the last five days.

At International Registration, the following steps will be taken:
- Determine what country they are from or what country they have visited to determine exposure to FMD.
- Physically examine clothing and shoes.
- Disinfect if necessary.
- Instruct on interaction with animals and exhibitors.
All cattle barns will be disinfected before cattle are allowed to enter the buildings.
Disinfectant wash tubs for footwear will be placed at all main cattle barn entrances and exits.

Cattle exhibitors and other attendees entering the barns are encouraged to use the disinfectant.
All cattle exhibitors are required to sign an affidavit to say that they, their employees or anyone they are authorizing to assist with their animals, or any equipment they will be using, have not been in a foreign country that has FMD in the past 5 days.

Before an exhibitor stalls animals an affidavit must be turned in to a superintendent.
All cattle exhibitors are encouraged to take the following actions:

- Wear rubber boots and use shoe disinfectant tubs.
- Not share buckets and equipment.
- Keep aisles in the barns wide and neat so that visitors stay in the aisles and off the bedding.
- Steam clean their trailers before bringing cattle to World Dairy Expo.
World Dairy Expo will send a separate letter to all cattle exhibitors explaining the new biosecurity procedures.
World Dairy Expo will send correspondence to USDA to request the following:
- Continued and possibly increased security at all ports of entry.
- A presence at the Madison airport.
All packages sent to the grounds during World Dairy Expo will need to be delivered through a secured site and must be identified. Dane County Sheriff Deputies will monitor this postal location and the receiving of packages.
World Dairy Expo will increase security.
This will be at all entrance gates, at evenings in the barns and generally around the grounds.
Streaming web video and audio of World Dairy Expo's Biosecurity Briefing is available on this web site.