The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is launching a foreign animal disease program that will teach veterinarians how to detect and respond to foreign animal diseases affecting the state’s livestock and poultry industries. According to a news release from the state agriculture department, the IowaFADefense program will also increase the number of veterinarians trained to assist the state and the USDA in a response to a disease outbreak. “If a foreign animal disease breaches U.S. borders, it could be devastating to Iowa’s agriculture-based economy,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in the release. Diseases included in the program’s curriculum are African swine fever, classical swine fever, Foot-and-mouth disease, highly pathogenic avian influenza and virulent Newcastle disease. The program, which is free and funded through the state’s foreign animal disease preparedness and response fund, is entirely online. In-person meetings may be added in the future. Veterinarians who complete the entire program will earn 19 hours of continuing education credits. To participate, veterinarians must register by June 5 at iowafadresponse.com.