July 26, 2011: Recognizing the increase in travel during the summer, the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) is reminding travellers of the precautions they can take to
protect Canada's animals, agricultural sector and economy from serious foreign animal
diseases.

Travellers should be extra vigilant at the border in light of recent outbreaks of
foot-and-mouth disease in Asia, classical swine fever in Europe, and African swine fever
in Russia. While these particular diseases pose no risk to food safety or to people, they
can have devastating effects on animal health and the economy.

When entering Canada from any country, travellers are required to declare all animals
and items derived from animals. They must also report if they have been on a farm or have
been exposed to animals while in another country, or if they will be going to a farm
while in Canada.

Travellers should always disinfect footwear they wore when in contact with farmed
animals abroad. They should also thoroughly wash clothing and dry it at a high
temperature. Anyone who has been in a country where a serious animal disease has been
detected should not go to a farm in Canada for 14 days.

The CFIA maintains strict
controls to limit the potential risks to Canadian livestock from disease outbreaks in
other countries. The Agency does not allow imports of susceptible animals and potentially
dangerous animal products from countries that are not recognized as being free of serious
animal diseases like foot-and-mouth-disease.

To
learn more about what travellers must declare at the border, visit www.beaware.gc.ca
or call 1-800-442-2342. For more
information on the animal diseases mentioned above, visit www.inspection.gc.ca.

Follow us on
Twitter for the latest on animal health: www.twitter.com/CFIA_Animals.

Media inquiries

CFIA Media Relations
613-773-6600

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