Notice to Industry

Anaplasmosis Program Adjustments

In an effort to modernize Canada’s approach to managing animal diseases, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is making adjustments to its activities for certain federally reportable diseases.

Effective April 1, 2014,anaplasmosis will be removed from the list of federally reportable diseases and placed on the list of immediately notifiable diseases. This change will mean that:

  • only laboratories will be required to report suspected or confirmed cases to the CFIA
  • the CFIA will no longer respond to anaplasmosis cases
  • the CFIA will no longer conduct surveillance for anaplasmosis to verify Canada’sstatus for the disease

These changes are based on scientific assessment. The decision reflects the probability that anaplasmosis will enter Canada from the United States as well as the cost of continuing to attempt to eradicate the disease within Canada. This decision will not impact our international reporting obligations to trading partners and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). They are not expected to impact market opportunities for Canadian producers.

By taking steps to modernize Canada’s approach to anaplasmosis, the CFIA will be able to focus more resources on emerging disease and foreign animal diseases.

The CFIA will continue to respond to anaplasmosis cases until March 31, 2014. However, an interim approach consisting of scaled back disease response activities will be in place in preparation for the program ending.

Specifically, the Agency will continue to test infected herds and perform trace out activities during disease response activities in the interim but in anticipation of anaplasmosis being removed from the federally reportable disease list,the CFIA will no longer:

  • test susceptible animals in the areas surrounding an infected herd
  • test susceptible animals who may have come into contact with the infected herd

During the transition period, the CFIA will continue to inform producers if their animals may have been exposed to the virus. Producers should talk to their veterinarian about testing if their animals are or have been in close proximity to an infected animal or herd. CFIA is working with provincial laboratories to develop testing capacity for Anaplasma. A list of laboratories currently approved by CFIA to perform the testing for Anaplasma is available upon request.

Anaplasmosis can be spread by ticks, biting flies, or through contaminated instruments such as hypodermic syringes and dehorning equipment.Producers can protect their animals and their industry by practicing farm-level biosecurity and by contacting their veterinarian if they suspect their herd may be infected.