Disease Outbreaks A Priority For New WSDA Vet

For Dr. Brian Joseph, joining the WSDA is a homecoming of sorts.  The new state veterinarian, served as the chief veterinarian at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, and he said he considers the Evergreen state his home.  He said while he wants to visit with producers and growers before determining his goals and plans for the next couple of years, one of his key issues with be preventing disease outbreaks.  Joseph told the Washington Ag Network since agriculture is a pillar of the Washington economy, it’s important the WSDA is active in fighting outbreaks.

“And you might think of a disease outbreak, and you’ll think ‘that’s tragic that that farmer’s heard has to be put to sleep because of a disease’, but there’s a trickledown effect.  It effects people who provide feed it effects people who drive truck, it effects storage, it effects tourism, it effects everything.”

Joseph added it will also be a priority to not only stave off outbreaks, but when one occurs to determine where the disease started.  Another one of his goals will be understanding the needs and wants of the entire state.

“Because we have a very complex society here, we’ve got a state, that has a highly urbanized population, and they’ve got a very big voice.  And we’ve got a rural population that’s less urban that are the producers and they are producing the product, so I need to come to understand that equation better.”

Joseph added another priority before the WSDA will be trade, domestically and internationally.

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