Media Contacts:
Dr. Dennis Wages, 919/513- 6282
Greg Thomas, News Services, 919/515-3470

Dec. 10, 2003

Hands-on Demonstration to Help Protect U.S. Food Supply

Protecting the food supply in the United States is getting more and more attention as public and animal health experts look to keep foreign animal diseases and bioterrorism threats out of the food chain.

A special live demonstration lab on Saturday, Dec. 13, at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will teach veterinarians, public health practitioners and emergency management officials the fundamentals of dealing with farm animals, responding to disasters and spotting bioterrorism.

“Many of the people who respond to help animals in disasters don’t have a lot of experience with large animals. We’re going to show them basic handling procedures, how to give exams, basic first aid, and how to identify foreign animal diseases,” said Dr. Dennis Wages, director of the Teaching Animal Unit in NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Participants will work with horses, dairy and beef cows, sheep, goats and pigs. “Foreign animal diseases and bioterrorism is getting a lot of attention right now; there’s concern about disease being introduced to our food. Diseases like foot-and-mouth and African swine fever and chemical agents like anthrax would devastate our animal agriculture, so we’re going to show them how to look for clinical signs,” Wages said.

The demonstration lab is part of a three-day symposium titled “One-Medicine Approach to Homeland Security” sponsored by the Emergency Programs Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response in the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, and the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Media coverage of this highly visual event is encouraged. Reporters and photographers wishing to cover this event need to contact Greg Thomas, News Services, by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, for specific directions to the event.

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