Foot and mouth precautions taken
Terry Halifax
Northern News Services
Hay River (Apr 16/01) - The Territorial Farmer's Association is concerned about youth groups travelling abroad who may unwittingly bring the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease back to Canada.
Evellyn Coleman, executive director for the Territorial Farmers Association (TFA), said she has recommended precautionary measures to members of the Hay River French First Language program who will be travelling to France this summer.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly-communicable viral disease of cattle, swine and other cloven-hoofed animals. Symptoms include fever and blister-like sores on the tongue, lips, mouth, teats and between the hooves of animals.
The disease has ravaged European farms, causing the extermination of over a million animals. There have also been confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth spreading to livestock in South America.
Coleman said it's better to be safe than sorry to keep the disease out of Canada.
"Canadians tend to be quite ignorant of these issues, because a lot of this stuff never seems to affect us, until after the fact," she said. "Then when it comes, it's like, 'Oh my God, we should have done something.'"
The TFA has followed the lead of other groups who've had similar trips to Europe. At a Black Diamond, Alta. school, a class trip to the United Kingdom was cancelled for fear of bringing back the disease. In Peace River and Beaverlodge Alta. schools, precautionary measures were taken, rather than cancel the trips altogether.
"Some (Peace River) kids have chosen not to go, just because farming is their livelihood," Coleman said.
The Peace River school board has suggested that the kids take one complete set of clothes that will be left in a sealed bag until they arrive at the Canadian airport. The student's other clothes will be taken to a dry cleaner and the school board will pay for the cleaning. The TFA has made the same recommendation to the Hay River school.
"It certainly a concern, not just for farm animals, but for all hoofed animals," Coleman said.
Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development bison ecologist John Nishi, said the department is currently developing a policy with Parks Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to inform public and personnel to the dangers of the disease.
"We're aware of the risk and we're just trying to decide the best way to approach it," Nishi said.
The foot-and-mouth virus can remain stable for 50 days in water, 200 days in soil, 398 days on wood contaminated with animal fat and 36 hours in human nose and throat tissues. The virus can be destroyed by heat (56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes) or by disinfected in a one-to-one vinegar and water solution.
Foot-and-mouth advisory
