Plum IslandThe foreign animal diseases that are of most concern currently to the U.S. departments of agriculture and homeland security are foot-and-mouth disease, Rift Valley fever, highly pathogenic avian influenza, and classical swine fever.

That's according to Dr. Lawrence R. Barrett, who spoke Saturday afternoon about "Epidemiology Hot Topics: Plum Island Animal Disease Center Responding to High Consequence Foreign Animal Diseases."

Dr. Barrett began his remarks by describing how his career in public health with the Air Force and state of California led to his position as PIADC director. He went on to outline the past, present, and future of the island facility that has helped protect U.S. agriculture from foreign animal diseases.

The USDA operated PIADC for about 50 years before Congress transferred oversight of the center to the DHS in 2003. Dr. Barrett said administering PIADC is like running a small, self-sufficient city—complete with power generators, wastewater treatment, and emergency services.

Center activities include maintaining the North American FMD vaccine bank, providing training in FAD recognition for veterinarians, and housing the FAD research unit of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Among other projects, the ARS unit is developing a new FMD vaccine.

Dr. Barrett said the DHS plans to replace the existing center by building a new National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility at a mainland site or on Plum Island. The DHS will announce the site later this year.