Office of the Governor
For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 31, 2001
For More Information: Bob Mercer or Mike Mueller, 773-3212

Special Program on Governor's Foot-and-Mouth and Mad Cow Disease Conference Airs on SD Public Television at 2 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, June 3

(Pierre) -- On May 17, Gov. Bill Janklow gathered world-renowned experts on infectious livestock diseases at a day-long conference in Sioux Falls to share their knowledge of the diseases and the threat they pose to South Dakota.

During the conference, Janklow outlined the state’s contingency plan in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and experts on foot-and-mouth, mad cow and chronic wasting disease discussed these diseases and their impacts in detail.

South Dakota Public Television will air a two-hour special program on the conference this Sunday, June 3 at 2:00 p.m. (CT).

National and international experts at the conference discussed foot-and-mouth disease, mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease. Speakers included:

* Dr. Dale Neirby, Minnesota Board of Animal Health, described conditions he personally witnessed in England in the wake of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

* Dr. Alfonso Torres, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, discussed the preventative measures taken by the USDA against FMD and possible responses to an outbreak. Torres also described USDA’s indemnification payment program and vaccination policy for foot-and-mouth disease. 

* Dr. Linda Detweiler, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, discussed Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or what is commonly referred to as mad cow disease.

* Dr. Elizabeth Williams, University of Wyoming, discussed chronic wasting disease.

Comparing it to biological warfare, Janklow outlined the state’s contingency plans in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak using four specific scenarios:
* FMD is confirmed in North America;
* FMD is confirmed in and adjacent state;
* FMD is suspected in South Dakota; and
* FMD is confirmed in South Dakota.

State Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel also discussed the state's new feed rules to eliminate the potential occurrence of mad cow disease in South Dakota.

For complete multimedia coverage of the conference, visit http://www.sdpb.org/DakotaCast/FMD/index.htm

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