Agricultural News
Just How Prepared are We for the Event of a Foreign Disease Outbreak in the Heart of Cattle Country
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:49:36 CST
The most dangerous animal diseases can be found in a laboratory on Plum Island just off the coast of New York, at least for now. Currently, there is an effort to transfer these contained pathogens to a biosecurity safe laboratory at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Kathy Simmons, chief veterinarian for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association recently. According to her, this upgrade of facilities will certainly help advance the research being done on infectious agents such as Foot and Mouth disease, to keep our food supply safe from contamination.
"I think it's important to have the new facilities simply because the old facilities limited some of the work that could be done," she said. "Having the facility in Manhattan should be able to secure the agents and allow us to have some advanced work done with some of these agents."
The advanced research capabilities this new facility will enable scientists to conduct, will greatly improve the preparedness efforts of the industry, ever conscious of the possibility of an outbreak.
"We always strive to be better prepared," Simmons asserted. "I think that's going to be key - for the event of an FMD outbreak in the heart of cattle country. We need to continue to move product, so we need to be able to eradicate the disease and we need to get back to normal as quickly as possible."
Listen to the full conversation between Hays and Dr. Simmons regarding the industry's plan for food supply security, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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