Beyond Borders, a regional animal agrosecurity conference slated for early June at Fargo, will bring together international experts to discuss wide ranging issues related to animal disease.

North Dakota State University extension veterinarian Dr. Charlie Stoltenow observes both countries have good systems but there can be lapses and disease outbreaks can occur.

Dr. Charlie Stoltenow-North Dakota State University

Each respective country, the United States and Canada have some pretty good response plans in place.

In the United States we deal with these every so often and so our government agencies, our federal and state agencies, our producer groups, they do understand.

However once you involve an international border things become very murky and things that we've learn from the United Kingdom and others is, to coin a football phrase, speed kills.

You have to deal with these incidents very quickly and very strong.

Diseases don't know international borders and our concern here is have there been discussions on what would happen, what type of capabilities are present, how do we respond to something on the international border because we will have to be united or we will fall together.

We know that, for instance, the Canadians have some certain capabilities that in the United States we are not as developed and the other is true also.

In the United States we have some capabilities and some assets available that the Canadians really don't have access to and we'd like to start these discussions.

Dr. Stoltenow warns, if we don't deal with an animal agrosecurity event on the international border it will be catastrophic to both countries.

For more information on the conference and links, visit the Farmscape web site.

Further Reading

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For advice on biosecurity management and disease control by clicking here.