On December 11-14, 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) participated in a simulation exercise of an Avian Influenza (AI) outbreak. The mock exercise took place in Cerrillos, Canelones, about 30 miles north of Montevideo, Uruguay. The main goal of this simulation exercise was to test the Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture’s (MGAP) capability to effectively contain the virus in the case of the presence of AI in the country and the interdisciplinary and multi-agency coordination procedures. This exercise included a simulation for shipping samples of biological material to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa. The procedure for sending biological samples used in the exercise was provided by USDA-APHIS.

MGAP officers (left to right) Oscar Caponi, Francisco Muzio and Eduardo Dias during the presentation of the outbreak	Protection and sampling materials provided by USDA-APHIS to MGAP/

 
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