Foot and Mouth Disease – Travel Restrictions
Pickling Cucumber Improvement Committee Meeting Abstract
Steven Leath, Roger Crickenberger, Jonathan Schultheis
North Carolina State University
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of all cloven footed animals such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and deer. Outbreaks of this disease have occurred in several countries in Europe with recent discovery of FMD in Germany.
Because FMD spreads widely and rapidly and because its economic impact could be devastating to North Carolina, North Carolina State University and the College of Life and Agricultural Sciences have imposed some limitations on travel to Research Stations, Field Laboratories, and areas which have significant livestock animal production.
In order to minimize the risk of transferring FMD to livestock, persons having traveled outside North America within the past 14 days will not be able to participate in the field trip to Dean Pickle and Specialty Products Co. or Mt. Olive Pickle Co., Inc. on Tuesday, April 10. In addition, current policy by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also restricts visitation by International Groups to Research Stations. Thus, the visit to the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton to observe the bag-in-box system has been canceled.
In addition to these precautions, we also suggest that persons who have traveled outside of North America go through Customs and the Disinfestation protocol to minimize risk. We also suggest that clothes be laundered. For individuals who have been in the United States for over 14 days and have either returned or traveled from a country outside North America in the last three months, overcoats and coats that are not cleaned should not be worn during the field trip.
At registration, each person will be asked to indicate their origin and time of entry into the United States. We regret the inconvenience this may cause anyone but we want to take precautions and minimize the risk of carrying inoculum which might infect NC Livestock. We appreciate your understanding.
For further information, contact:
- Dr. Jonathan Schultheis, Associate Professor
- Department of Horticultural Science
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7609
- Telephone: 919-515-1225; Fax: 919-515-2505
- E-mail: jonathan_schultheis@ncsu.edu