WHEREAS Foot and Mouth Disease has infected livestock in the United Kingdom;AND WHEREAS British troops have been engaged to slaughter Foot and Mouth Disease infected livestock in the United Kingdom;AND WHEREAS British troops are to be deployed for training at Canadian Forces Bases;AND WHEREAS the Foot and Mouth Disease virus is easily transmitted and survives in the environment for an extended period of time;AND WHEREAS the control of Foot and Mouth Disease involves slaughtering of large numbers of livestock, the closing of roads in affected areas, and the halting of the sale and movement of livestock and the movement of people;AND WHEREAS the entrance of Foot and Mouth Disease into Canada could shut down the export market for 18 months to come;AND WHEREAS substantial economic hardship, not only for the livestock industry but also for the entire agricultural industry, would result from an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Federal Government to ban entrance of foreign troops from countries reporting incidents of Foot and Mouth Disease, and request the support of the Province of Alberta and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in this lobbying effort;AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Federal Government to restrict access to agri-food establishments for a minimum two-week period to all travellers either originating or returning from countries in which Foot and Mouth Disease incidents have been reported, and request the support of the Province of Alberta and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in this lobbying effort.

Foot and Mouth Disease is a highly communicable virus that affects all cloven-hooved animals. The virus can persist for an extended period of time, and is easily transmitted by contact, whether direct from animal-to-animal, or even through contaminated footwear or clothing.The impact of an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Canada would be substantial. Control includes the slaughtering of herds, closure of roads in the affected area, the halting of the sale of livestock, and the restricted movement of both livestock and people. The financial loss incurred with the destruction of the herd is not the only cost. Foreign countries could ban the import of Canadian products for 18 months or more.Recent outbreaks in the United Kingdom have resulted in the destruction of herds, which was carried out by British troops. Currently, British troops are slated to be deployed for training at the Canadian Forces Base at Suffield. Given that the virus can be carried on footwear, clothing, or infected humans and can easily outlive the amount of time it takes these troops to fly to Canada, this poses a serious threat to our livestock industry.A further concern is that of visitors from countries with recorded cases of Foot and Mouth Disease, and even Canadians returning from visits to these countries. As the virus is easily transmitted, restrictions should be in place to ensure that potentially contaminated persons not enter agri-food establishments for a two-week period.