CDFA SECRETARY WILLIAM (BILL) J. LYONS, JR. JOINS INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

American and Mexican Border States Meet to Discuss Common Ground

SACRAMENTO, April 18, 2001-Agriculture secretaries, directors and commissioners from American and Mexican border states met today in Phoenix to discuss cooperative strategies against Foot-and-Mouth Disease.

The American secretaries, directors and commissioners were from the NFACT coalition, the states of New Mexico, Florida, Arizona, California and Texas. The Mexican secretaries were from the states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California and Tamaulipas. Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Mexican national agriculture agency were also in attendance. The meeting today was intended as a first step of a potential coordinated response between the neighboring countries.

“We have close economic and cultural ties to Mexico, so it is important that we work as a team,” said CDFA Secretary William (Bill) J. Lyons, Jr. “ This meeting is part of California’s ongoing effort, as directed by Governor Davis, to evaluate and strengthen our protective measures.”

While Foot-and-Mouth Disease doesn’t impact human health, it is the most devastating illness known to livestock. There hasn’t been a single case in the United States for 72 years.
The last outbreak in Mexico was in 1954.

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