1 Christopher Melluso Elizabeth Higgins FDA/CVM State of New Mexico Pet Event Tracking Network (PETNet)

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Christopher Melluso Elizabeth Higgins

FDA/CVM State of New Mexico

Pet Event Tracking Network(PETNet)

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PETNet originated at the “Gateway to Food Protection” 50-State meeting held in August, 2008

The Outbreaks/Food-Borne and Feed-Borne Investigations Workgroup at the meeting created a subgroup consisting of veterinarians, animal feed regulators, and others involved with animal health issues

This subgroup developed and proposed the concept for a system to detect, investigate and report disease outbreaks in companion animals

This subgroup named the system “Pet Event Tracking Network”

or “PETNet”

History

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1. Surveillance systems and mechanisms for detecting disease outbreaks in companion animals

2. Adequate veterinary diagnostic laboratory infrastructure to support disease outbreak investigations

3. Epidemiological investigations of disease outbreaks in companion animals

Original Concept for PETNet

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States: ◦ Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New

Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Department of Agriculture (USDA) Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

PETNet Working Group

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Determining the partners and merging them

Funding the project, both initial and long term

Ownership of PETNet

Jurisdictions of PETNet members

Regulatory and legal issues for PETNet

Information Technology needs

Original concept was enormous in scope

PETNet Challenges

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Melamine as a Model

What was unique about the melamine incident?

What lessons were learned?

How could PETNet improve?

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Melamine incident was unique

1. Widespread foodborne intoxication of companion animals.

2. Causative agents were not easily, readily or previously identified as toxins.

3. The incident involved all the states.

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Lessons Learned

During the melamine incident many States provided information to FDA

The way FDA shares information collected from the States and from other sources needs improvement

States need timely and complete information from FDA to support their own investigations and regulatory actions

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How could PETNet improve?

PETNet needed to find a way to give states access to the information FDA collects

The states then have access not only to their own information but that of other states and FDA

The states would be able to see the same initial picture the FDA was seeing

The states have the information to exercise their own regulatory authority

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PETNet Scope

Multiple teleconferences and a face to face meeting

By November 2009 the working group determined the scope for PETNet

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Secure information exchange network

Federal and State regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over Pet Food Products

Allows States access to the same information for a foodborne disease outbreak in companion animals as the FDA and at the same time FDA gains access to the information

States have this information to exercise their regulatory authority

Pet Event Tracking Network PETNet

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An alert system Short concise reporting form System is based in FoodSHIELD Limited to Pet Food Products Expandable

PETNet Basics

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1. PETNet member completes reporting form and submits report to PETNet in FoodSHIELD

2. Report is archived and accessible

3. PETNet members can go to the report at their convenience

4. FoodSHIELD sends email alerts to all PETNet members

5. PETNet members can contact the reporter for additional information

How PETNet Works

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Case number (assigned by PETNet)

Product identification Product form identification Manufacturer identification Species Life stage Clinical signs

Number exposed/affected Laboratory data available to

share (Y or N) State of report origin Source of data Reporter’s (PETNet member)

contact info

Streamlined Data Points

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Reports are simple Reports are concise Reports are not submitted by consumers Reports are submitted by regulatory professionals

based on their assessment of what they are

seeing in their jurisdictions

Data Quality

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CVM will invite each State

State veterinarian, feed control officials and State diagnostic lab official

States are encouraged to respond by September 1, 2010

Invitations to PETNet