Dr. A. Gregorio Rosales, vice president of Veterinary Services at Aviagen, discussed the Compartmentalization of Poultry Primary Breeding Companies at the Southern Animal Health Association (SAHA) 2015 Annual Meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, recently. This year’s event was hosted by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Dr. Rosales presented an overview of the ongoing efforts to develop guidelines and auditing lists for the certification of Avian Influenza Free Compartments for primary breeding turkey, egg-laying, and broiler breeding flocks. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), compartmentalization is a process that could be implemented by a country to define and manage animal subpopulations of distinct health status and under a common biosecurity program for the purpose of disease control and international trade.
The Compartmentalization of Poultry Primary Breeding Companies is a comprehensive endeavor being developed through a partnership between the USDA/National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), the US Poultry and Egg Association and other broiler breeder and egg-layer companies. During this year’s meeting Dr. Rosales was elected to serve for the ninth time as industry’s representative at the Board of the United States Animal Health Association (USAHA) from the Southeast region.
“We’re proud that Dr. Rosales of Aviagen was elected to serve as the industry representative for Southeast on the USAHA Board. The fact that he was selected to continue in this respect is a testimony of his active role in the areas of health programs and requirements in the poultry industry,” says Kevin McDaniel, president of Aviagen North America. “Dr. Rosales has devoted years of exemplary service and has made invaluable contributions to the industry. I can’t think of a more qualified, experienced and dedicated individual to represent the Southeast region at this year’s USAHA board.”
Dr. Rosales was born and raised on a broiler farm near Mexico City. He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where he also served as Associate Professor and Head of Poultry Diagnostic Services at the College of Veterinary Medicine. He also has a M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. Before joining Ross Breeders, now Aviagen Incorporated, in 1991, he worked as Director of Technical Services for Indian River International in Nacogdoches, Texas. He is widely published, authoring and co-authoring numerous reports, articles and chapters on topics ranging from avian diseases to biosecurity and disease prevention.
SAHA is a regional association of the USAHA and is made up of state animal health officials, USDA representatives, and livestock industry representatives from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Puerto Rico.
