"To be clear, the rules on reporting news of a disease outbreak do not change with the new Animal Health Act. As soon as a disease is actually confirmed, that information would be made public just the same way it has always been, typically through the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Fisheries and Oceans Canada or the Province’s chief veterinarian.
"What the new Animal Health Act guards against is incomplete or unconfirmed information being made public that would unfairly harm the reputation and livelihood of the families that make their living as farmers. We recognize that upon confirmation of a disease it is essential the public receives complete, accurate, and consistent information and advice on how they can protect their health.
"The best way to ensure that disease outbreaks are reported early is to assure farmers that their information will be treated in a strictly confidential fashion.
"Section 16 of the new Animal Health Act is actually designed to encourage the reporting of potential animal diseases and participation in traceability programs, by guaranteeing the confidentiality of the information. It simply makes animal medical records held by the Province protected by the same confidentiality rules that apply to private veterinarians and private laboratories. The wording is very similar to that used by Alberta and Ontario.
"The new legislation places no specific restrictions on the media or individuals from reporting the presence of diseases to the public. It also does not change anyone’s responsibility to notify CFIA or the Province’s chief veterinarian if they have reason to believe that an animal in their care has a reportable disease.
