Scenario 3 Classical Swine Fever (CSF) Risk Communicator Training for Foreign Animal & Zoonotic Disease Defense

Developed by Susan Gale, DVM Center for Animal Health and Food Safety College of Veterinary Medicine University of Minnesota In cooperation with Risk Communication Project

Purpose of Scenario Apply Risk Communication principles introduced in training module to a fictional event involving Classical Swine Fever. Apply knowledge of zoonotic and foreign animal disease outbreaks to craft appropriate messages Create risk and crisis communication response strategies from the perspective of key players

Scene 1 August 30, 2009 Swine Sale Barn Anytown, USA

Gilts Exposed to CSF Virus Producer A brings 40 gilts to market at a sales barn A worker at the sales barn has a pork sausage sandwich in his jacket pocket. He bought the sausage in a country with CSF and it was not found at customs on his return to the US The worker moves animals around the sales barn pens. The sandwich falls into the pen with Producer A’s gilts and several gilts eat some of the sandwich.

Gilts Auctioned at Sales Barn Ten gilts are bought by Farmer B Thirty gilts are bought by Farmer C

Farmer B’s Gilts Farmer B keeps ten gilts in an isolation area on his farm Farmer B maintains strict bio-security measures

Farmer C’s Gilts Farmer C puts fifteen of his purchased gilts in an open pen next to the hog finishing barn Farmer C transports the other fifteen gilts to his cousin, Farmer D’s, farm

Farmer D’s Gilts Generic pig pictureFarmer D put his gilts into a pen in a barn shared with some feeder steers These gilts are the only swine on Farmer D’s premises

DVM Visits Farm D Farmer D calls out DVM X the next day to look at a lame steer DVM X has to cross through the gilt pen to get to the steer DVM X calls on four other swine farms that day

Detection: Initial Signs of Disease Two days later Farmer B notices the isolated gilts are not eating well and are huddling together Several gilts have fevers. Farmer B calls DVM Y to examine the gilts

Detection: Initial Signs of Disease DVM Y observes that one gilt has red skin blotches and is very ill, near death DVM Y suspects Classical Swine Fever and calls the State Veterinarian csf/photo.htm Photo credit: John MacKinnon

Diagnosis and Confirmation of CSF CSF DIAGNOSIS The State Veterinarian arrives that same day and collects samples to test for CSF Onsite testing is positive for CSF, samples are sent to the Federal Laboratory in Plum Island, NY for confirmation, results won’t be known for hours CSF Virus

Key Facts about CSF Classical Swine Fever does not cause illness in people People can’t get sick from eating pork, but pigs can A CSF outbreak may result in a shortage of pork and pork products CSF can cause major economic losses to pork producers in the US if the disease becomes established again

Risk Communication Part 1 Gilts bought at a sales barn are sick and initial testing is positive for CSF, confirmation tests are pending What if this happened in your county? Are you a Risk Communicator? Who is your audience? What sources of information do they have access to? How do you address the unknown aspects of this situation

Risk Communicators PlayersActionsMessage State Veterinarian Investigate source of CSF virus Livestock Sale Barn Cooperate with investigation Local Health Professionals, DVMs, MDs, Public Health Gather information from credible sources

Outbreak Response Federal veterinarian investigates CSF on Farm B and traces source of gilts back to Anytown Livestock Sale Barn and Producer A Further review of the sales barn records locates the gilts sold to Farms C & D and the four swine farms visited by DVM X

Outbreak Response Final test results are positive for CSF To prevent further spread of the disease, all swine premises within a six mile radius of any of these locations, whether infected with CSF virus or not, are depopulated

Risk Communication Part 2 Develop a message about this outbreak that you want to deliver to your audience What potential consequences can you imagine might result from this outbreak and/or the outbreak response? What questions might your audience ask? How can you reduce the fear or outrage reaction of your audience?

Risk Communicators PlayersActionsMessage Area Veterinarian in Charge Report investigation findings Board of Health spokesperson Assure public of no risk of disease among people Pork Board spokesperson Assure public that pork is safe to eat Local health professionals, DVMs, MDs Answer questions posed by the public

Anticipating Questions Public: Can I get sick from eating pork? Agriculture producers: Are my animals safe? How can insure that I’m not bringing the virus back to my farm? Media: How soon will you have the outbreak contained?

Recovery Eradication efforts contain the outbreak to a five county area. Time from detection to control is three months Thousands of hogs are destroyed as a result of the CSF outbreak Despite assurances that pork is safe to eat, consumption drops by 15%

Risk Communication Part 3 What is your role as a Risk Communicator once the outbreak has been contained? How would your message change? How might you be better prepared for the next outbreak event?

10 Best Practices in Risk Communication 1.Risk and crisis communication is an ongoing process 2.Conduct pre-event (pre-crisis) planning 3.Foster partnerships with public 4.Listen to public’s concern & understand audience 5.Demonstrate honesty, candor & openness 6.Collaborate and coordinate with credible sources 7.Meet the needs of the media and remain accessible 8.Communicate with compassion, concern & empathy 9.Accept uncertainty and ambiguity 10.Give people useful actions to do -- must do, should do, could do