Press Release 03/31/2006 #2
Contact: Public Affairs (404) 656-3689
Georgia Agriculture Department
Participates in Anti-terrorism Conference
ATLANTA-- State Veterinarian Lee Myers represented Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin last week at an anti-terrorism conference in Israel, the first-such international summit. The meeting, “Countering Terrorism – Sharing Experience and Expertise,” began March 19 and was sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Spanning four days in Jerusalem, the conference invited representatives of state and local governments from throughout the United States and Canada to share and exchange ideas with representatives from the Israeli government. Dr. Myers met with top officials from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and leading Israeli veterinarians to discuss how agrosecurity and terrorism protection could be improved.
“The opportunity to share ideas and information is extremely important,” said Commissioner Irvin. “We recognize the importance of agrodefense, and Dr. Myers’ involvement will prove invaluable as we continue to be proactive and watchful about protecting Georgia.”
The sharing of defense tactics and strategies continued as Myers was able to see firsthand the measures taken during an avian influenza outbreak. During the trip, a flock of turkeys in Israel became infected with the H5N1 strain of avian flu. Myers traveled to the southern part of the country to discuss disease eradication with personnel at the incident command post and witness disposal methods on the farm where the virus was first discovered.
“It was beneficial for one of my staff to see how the Israelis respond to the incursion of a foreign animal disease, especially an outbreak of bird flu. Sharing information and experiences on disease containment and response will prove invaluable if the disease comes here,” said Irvin.
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