An ASF contingency plan should be a well articulated strategy document designed to define actions to be taken in the event of an ASF emergency. It should contain details of the resources needed to meet such an emergency and an action plan for rapid, efficient deployment of human and material resources for effective containment of the disease and elimination of infection. While it is not feasible to produce a model contingency plan that will be a perfect fir for all situations, the suggested format and contents described here should serve as guidelines for national ASF contingency plans. It is suggested that a national ASF contingency plan should include the elements set out below.
This section should describe the essential features of ASF such as:
While most of these aspects are generic and could be used almost unmodified, others may need to be modified to reflect the prevailing circumstances in individual countries.
This provides information on just how serious a threat ASF is for the country in comparison with other transboundary animal diseases, where and how ASF might be present and what its potential consequences are. Risk analysis should indicate how much effort should be put into contingency planning and provide the rationale for the disease-control strategies selected.
Risk analyses need to be updated regularly to take account of changing internal and external circumstances.
This describes the quarantine and other measures that should be used to minimize the risk of introduction and establishment of ASF.
This includes all initiatives to be taken to ensure that an incursion of ASF can be recognized and countered before it reaches epidemic proportions and to monitor progress of eradication campaigns. It includes disease surveillance and epidemiological capabilities such as emergency disease reporting mechanisms and animal health information systems, training of animal health staff in recognition of the disease and public awareness programmes.
At present, the only viable strategy for eradication of ASF is by stamping out. This section, which is the core component of the contingency plan, should describe the workings of an eradication campaign based on a stamping-out policy. It must show how disease eradication should be verified and national freedom from ASF demonstrated to international standards.
The administrative structures of national veterinary services, evolved to deal with routine animal health programmes, are not necessarily appropriate for emergency disease control. This section should describe the organizational arrangements to be established when there is an ASF emergency. The aim is to enable all necessary resources to be efficiently marshalled to respond to the emergency. These arrangements will vary according to the infrastructure, veterinary services capacity and bureaucratic arrangements of individual countries.
These underpin the technical plans. They include financial and resource plans and legislation. They are of vital importance and a key to the success or failure of an eradication campaign.
These are mechanisms whereby the phases of the plan are implemented, from the initial investigation phase to the final stand-down phase.
A list of names and contact addresses, including telephone numbers, fax and e-mail addresses of the following should be included in appendixes to the contingency plan:
Information on national animal health laws and other data relevant to a particular country should be included.
It should be emphasized that what follows provides only the framework for national contingency plans for ASF. Countries must take account of their particular circumstances.
