Simulation exercise: Exotic diseases in Costa Rica

9 June 2022

Dr Germán Rojas Hidalgo, Director General of the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) of Costa Rica and Delegate to the OMSA, informed the OMSA that a theoretical simulation exercise on health emergencies caused by exotic diseases will be carried out in Costa Rica on 9 June 2022.

The objectives of the simulation exercise would be:

• Implement the epidemiological zones (infected, suspect and protection), by using the SENASA emergency mapping system and evaluate the sanitary measures to be implemented.
• Establish the resources required to carry out the emergency health care by the teams that perform quarantine, surveillance, diagnosis, slaughter, depopulation, cleaning, disinfection and vaccination activities in the response to an exotic disease emergency.
• Strengthen the capacities of the official service and the private sector in the intervention of an outbreak of an exotic disease.

The National Swine Health Programme, the National Avian Health Programme, staff from the National and Regional Directorates of SENASA, as well as veterinarians from the private sector, who would be involved in the response to a health emergency, will participate in this simulation exercise.

The purpose of this simulation exercise would be to strengthen the response capacity in the event of a possible occurrence of an exotic disease event in the national territory.

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World Animal Health Information and Analysis Department
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
[email protected]