Simulation Exercise: African swine fever in Italy-3

7 and 8 September 2021

Dr. Pierdavide Lecchini, Chief Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Health – Italy, informed the OIE that a field simulation exercise on African swine fever (ASF) called “PSA Emilia – Romagna 2021”, will take place on 7th and 8th September 2021 in Italy, Emilia Romagna, Modena Province, a region where local disease control centres will be set up.

The overall aim of this exercise, which will be conducted in conjunction with the Emilia Romagna regional and local veterinary services, National Reference Laboratory for ASF virus and pestivirus diseases – Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Regioni Umbria e Marche, ISPRA (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), regional veterinary laboratory IZSLER and Department of Civil Protection, is to assess and check the national contingency plan and policies for the control and eradication of ASF outbreak in wild boar, with a view to detecting critical points and identifying improvements in the plan, instructions, structures and procedures.

The exercise is part of the activities set out in the “2021 African Swine Fever Surveillance and Prevention Plan in Italy” which includes the provisions of Regulation 2016/429, article 45, relating to simulation exercises, whose objectives are ensuring a high level of awareness, preparedness and capacity to activate a rapid response to diseases in the Member State concerned and to verify the functionality of the national emergency plans.

The main objective is to verify the regional intervention model reported in the document “Emergency Plan For African Swine Fever” prepared by the members of the Regional Technical Coordination Unit and to test the connection between the structures of the same institution and between different institutions (national, regional and local) in charge of the emergency response and represented by the confirmation of a case of ASF in a wild boar carcass found in the foothills of Modena province.

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World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
[email protected]