NCC joined members of the poultry industry and USDA-APHIS in co-hosting a conference this week in Baltimore, Maryland. The conference was held on June 22-24, and composed of discussions regarding the risks of introduction of avian influenza viruses through global trade in poultry and poultry products, appropriate measures to mitigate these risks, and goals for future cooperation between the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) member countries. The conference included presentations by national Chief Veterinary Officers and their delegates on their countries’ experiences with managing the risk of avian influenza related to poultry trade, and current efforts to control and eradicate the virus.
The conference proved to be educational for the United States, and global, poultry industries, and provided a forum for discussion on moving forward with improved perspectives on trade in light of avian influenza outbreaks. Participating countries included: Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Africa, Brazil, China, the United Kingdom and members of the European Union, as well as 17 additional countries from Africa and Asia/Asia-Pacific.
