The Organising Committee for the 2010 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) International Symposium and Workshop invites researchers, animal health managers, policy makers and industry in the FMD arena to share discovery information and experiences.  We believe it is really important for these diverse groups to interact on the latest developments in FMD research, diagnostics and control measures and the symposium and workshop aim to provide such an opportunity.

Australia has fortunately not suffered an outbreak of FMD since 1871. This freedom from disease provides the country with an important advantage for trade in live animals and animal products and access to premium markets in Asia, North America and Europe. However, like many FMD free countries, Australia is highly vulnerable to an outbreak of FMD, which would have massive socio-economic impacts, estimated in the worst case scenario to be in excess of AUD 13 billion. The country is investing in significant biosecurity measures to protect its industries from disease incursions and in a wide range of preparedness activities to ensure an effective response should the disease occur.

Australia, like all countries at risk from FMD understands that it is imperative to inform scientists, policy makers, field staff and the livestock industries on the latest scientific findings on FMD and the application of these in innovative ways.

The first two days will set the scene with presentations by international experts in the following fields:

The scenario-based interactive workshop will take place on the third day where Symposium delegates will be presented with disease/outbreak scenarios that could arise in an FMD free country with the setting in Australia.  It will provide an opportunity for delegates to be part of the exercise, to debate different control options, to discuss developments in the scientific field and their impact on control and provide the views of their particular backgrounds.