There are two EDMC teams in Minnesota, one for swine and one for poultry. The poultry team has been around longer and served as the blueprint for the newer swine team. Despite covering two different species, the groups have a lot in common, including the goal to plan and prepare today for an animal disease that could arrive tomorrow. What have these teams been up to lately and what's on their horizon in 2021?

The EDMC for Swine

This team is broken down into several special subcommittees and has created several plans and resources in the past year:

• Communication protocols during animal emergencies.
• Depopulation methods and resources.
• Carcass disposal methods and resources.
• Mental health support resources.
• The Minnesota African Swine Fever Response Plan.
• Epidemiologic questionnaire for ASF investigations.
• Interactive map for tracing outbreaks and permitted movement.
• Cleaning and disinfecting protocols during a disease outbreak.
• A regionalization task force for Minnesota and Iowa during a FAD event.

The swine teams are also busy preparing and refining plans as we begin 2021.

• Planning and evaluating alternate depopulation methods (nitrogen gas/foam).
• Developing additional diagnostic tools for ASF detection and surveillance.
• Assigning premises ID’s to non-livestock operations to improve emergency response during a disease event. Click here to register a non-livestock premise (feed mill, slaughtering plant, processing plant, etc.)
• Expanding enhanced biosecurity protocols.
• Developing enhanced site security during FAD events.
• Distributing contact protocols for loose pig sightings in Minnesota.
• Drafting permitted movement protocols to use during FAD events.
• Vector mitigations during disease events.

The EDMC for Poultry

The purpose of the EDMC is to advise the Board on the development and implementation of the Minnesota Plan, a formal regulatory avian influenza response plan. EDMC members are positioned to make recommendations and have the contacts to delegate resources as needed for a Minnesota Plan response. EDMC members have the technical expertise to make field decisions during a response and are able to represent and be a spokesperson for their respective industry or organization. It is through these collaborative, cooperative efforts poultry diseases of great significance are eradicated or controlled in Minnesota.

Here's what the poultry team has been up to lately:

• Working with industry on disease surveillance and detections, ramping up awareness when wild bird migrations occur.
• Tracking and mapping recent low pathogenic avian influenza detections on premises in several adjacent counties to determine how the virus is spreading.
• Monitoring the HPAI situation in Europe and Asia because the migratory bird patterns are similar to those in 2014-2015.
• Training Board and USDA field staff to be Case Managers, veterinarians who would work directly with producers when responding to an introduction.
• Communicating with producers and veterinarians to ensure they have adequate supplies when collecting samples from suspect flocks. 
• Reminding industry of the need for heightened biosecurity and flock awareness during the 2021 spring and fall migratory seasons.
• Reviewing and auditing producer biosecurity plans.