Iowa Foreign Animal Disease Defense Program (IFAD) Meetings Offered

April 23, 2024 — 

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, in collaboration with the Center for Food Security and Public Health, is offering regional meetings as part of the Iowa Foreign Animal Disease Defense Program (IFAD) to further develop our state's Foreign Animal Disease response capabilities. Participating in IFAD enhances Iowa's ability to detect, respond, mitigate, and recover from FAD outbreaks by training professionals to fulfill these crucial needs. IFAD provides Iowa veterinarians with the right tools to identify FADs, collect appropriate samples, familiarity with reporting, and more.

This program is designed to increase the number of Iowa veterinarians who are knowledgeable and skilled in FAD preparedness and response through a hybrid structure consisting of in-person and online components for accredited veterinarians. Regional meetings are the key component of the IFAD program and attendance will allow participants to access online content. In-person training consists of certified foreign animal disease diagnostician (FADD) training as well as diagnostic sampler training for use in developing clients to become certified sample collectors in accordance with the Secure Food Supply program. Online module topics may include but are not limited to biosecurity, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination, and outbreak planning and investigation.

This May through July, five regional in-person events will be hosted by IDALS around the state. Check the IDALS Veterinary Resource page to register and for updates on a training location near you.

For questions, please email fad@iowaagriculture.gov or call the Animal Industry Bureau at 515-281-5305.

May 2 - Waterloo
May 15 - Carroll
May 31 - Bloomfield
June 10 - LeMars
July 8 - Ames

These events are for all Level II accredited and licensed Iowa veterinarians. The IFAD program will provide you with the necessary resources to prepare your clients to respond to a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak. The program is free and counts as veterinary continuing education credit.