FAST program reviewed at AVMA

The Association of Veterinarians in Egg Production Group convening at the American Veterinary Medical Association Conference in Seattle reviewed aspects of the Federal and State Transport Plan (FAST). This program comprises both proactive and reactive activities in the event of an outbreak of a catastrophic disease such as HPAI or Exotic Newcastle Disease.
Dr. Will Heuston, executive director of Global Initiative for Food Systems leadership affiliated to the University of Minnesota emphasized that business continuity is an important part of any disease control program.
The FAST program would lay down rules and procedures which would allow egg production operations in areas affected by a catastrophic disease to move product to the market subject to high standards of biosecurity and ongoing disease surveillance. It has been determined that both raw and pasteurized liquid egg and washed and sanitized shell eggs from approved farms and plants complying with the FAST requirements represent a negligible risk of disseminating infection provided that biosecurity precautions are followed during transport.
Movement of liquid and sanitized shell eggs will be permitted in terms of the Egg Movement Control Model Plan and Risk Assessment designed to prevent the spread of HPAI. The EMCMP was developed through collaboration among industry groups including the UEP and the USDA Animal Health Plant Inspection Service Veterinary Services. The plan incorporates provisions of FAST which mandate advanced rapid molecular biological diagnostic techniques and risk assessment.