1 Christopher Melluso Elizabeth Higgins FDA/CVM State of New Mexico Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet)

2  PETNet originated at the “Gateway to Food Protection” 50-State meeting held in August, 2008  The Outbreaks/Food-Borne and Feed-Borne Investigations Workgroup at the meeting created a subgroup consisting of veterinarians, animal feed regulators, and others involved with animal health issues  This subgroup developed and proposed the concept for a system to detect, investigate and report disease outbreaks in companion animals  This subgroup named the system “Pet Event Tracking Network” or “PETNet” History

3 1. Surveillance systems and mechanisms for detecting disease outbreaks in companion animals 2. Adequate veterinary diagnostic laboratory infrastructure to support disease outbreak investigations 3. Epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks in companion animals Original Concept for PETNet

4  States: ◦ Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon  Centers for Disease Control (CDC)  Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Department of Homeland Security (DHS) PETNet Working Group

5  Determining the partners and merging them  Funding the project, both initial and long term  Ownership of PETNet  Jurisdictions of PETNet members  Regulatory and legal issues for PETNet  Information Technology needs  Original concept was enormous in scope PETNet Challenges

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7 Melamine as a Model  What was unique about the melamine incident?  What lessons were learned?  How could PETNet improve?

8 Melamine incident was unique 1. Widespread foodborne intoxication of companion animals. 2. Causative agents were not easily, readily or previously identified as toxins. 3. The incident involved all the states.

9 Lessons Learned During the melamine incident many States provided information to FDA The way FDA shares information collected from the States and from other sources needs improvement States need timely and complete information from FDA to support their own investigations and regulatory actions

10 How could PETNet improve? PETNet needed to find a way to give states access to the information FDA collects The states then have access not only to their own information but that of other states and FDA The states would be able to see the same initial picture the FDA was seeing The states have the information to exercise their own regulatory authority

11 Multiple teleconferences and a face to face meeting By November 2009 the working group determined the scope for PETNet

12  Secure information exchange network  Federal and State regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over Pet Food Products  Allows States access to the same information for a foodborne disease outbreak in companion animals as the FDA and at the same time FDA gains access to the information  States have this information to exercise their regulatory authority Pet Event Tracking Network PETNet

13  An alert system  Short concise reporting form  System is based in FoodSHIELD  Limited to Pet Food Products  Expandable PETNet Basics

14 1. PETNet member completes reporting form and submits report to PETNet in FoodSHIELD 2. Report is archived and accessible 3. PETNet members can go to the report at their convenience 4. FoodSHIELD sends alerts to all PETNet members 5. PETNet members can contact the reporter for additional information How PETNet Works

15  Case number (assigned by PETNet)  Product identification  Product form identification  Manufacturer identification  Species  Life stage  Clinical signs  Number exposed/affected  Laboratory data available to share (Y or N)  State of report origin  Source of data  Reporter’s (PETNet member) contact info Streamlined Data Points

16  Reports are simple  Reports are concise  Reports are not submitted by consumers  Reports are submitted by regulatory professionals based on their assessment of what they are seeing in their jurisdictions Data Quality

17  CVM will invite each State  State veterinarian, feed control officials and State diagnostic lab official  States are encouraged to respond by September 1, 2010 Invitations to PETNet