DARD tests Foot and Mouth contingency plans

Date: 28/5/2006
Source: DARD

A Foot and Mouth Disease simulation exercise was carried out earlier this week by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

Known as Exercise Kittiwake II, the purpose of the simulation was to test the Department's response to any possible re-introduction of Foot and Mouth Disease to Northern Ireland.

At Loughry Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise in Cookstown, the Local Epizootic Disease Control Centre (LEDCC) was mobilised for the purposes of this exercise in order to test communication systems and rehearse management of the operational delivery of measures to control, detect and eradicate the disease.

Almost 100 DARD staff participated in Kittiwake II over two days. It was one of a series of such exercises held on an ongoing basis to test all aspects of the Epizootic Disease Contingency Plan, and ensure Northern Ireland's readiness to handle any future outbreaks of epizootic disease.