Understanding Livestock > Wildlife > Human > Environmental Health connections are critical in meeting challenges of disease disasters involving depopulation, decontamination, and disposal activities. Catastrophic and routine losses of poultry and livestock associated with large-scale production operations are significant environmental, biosecurity, and waste & water management concerns around the globe. Response to highly-consequential animal disease is not limited to farm animals. Disposal of wildlife, marine mammals, fish or other species is necessary routinely and in response to accidental deaths, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks.

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The symposium will highlight new research, case studies, and field experiences related to recent animal mortality disposal methodologies. Discussion of One-Health, most recently HPAI in multiple species, is being planned for. Critical assessments of public policy with the intent to capture and disseminate new information on these topics, and to stimulate development of additional research, policy, and educational programs.

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The Eighth International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management is scheduled for June 23 – 26, 2025 in Stevens Point, WI.

The Symposium is:

• Monday, June 23, 2025 – Tours highlighting various facets of Wisconsin agriculture and animal facilities (at an additional cost – not included with registration fee).

• Tuesday, June 24, 2025– Symposium begins, full-day of presentations, panels, and poster session.

• Wednesday, June 25, 2025 – Half-day of presentations and panels, half-day of demonstrations.

• Thursday, June 26, 2025 – Half-day of tabletop exercise.

 

Types of Participation
We invite you to submit papers, posters and written or video presentations. The deadline for all abstract submissions is February 11, 2025. The program committee will respond to you on or before January 20, 2025.

Oral Presentations: Participants will present in chaired, lecture-format sessions and give a 20-minute oral presentation followed by a 5-minute Question & Answer. Lecture-format presenters are required to contribute a multiple-page paper to the conference proceedings. The deadline for paper submissions is April 8, 2025.

Poster and Video Presentations: Those submitting a poster or video presentation will answer questions and discuss their work in detail for an hour during the session. The session is scheduled to allow attendees the opportunity to attend both poster and lecture sessions. It is conducted in a relaxed atmosphere designed to encourage attendance and stimulate participant interaction and exchange of ideas. The deadline for poster and video presentation submissions is April 8, 2025.

 

Symposium Themes to Be Addressed

• Domestic and wildlife carcass disposal routinely and following accidents, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks;

• HPAI in poultry, dairy, wildlife, and humans;

• Prevention measures for disease spread, (vaccination, travel restrictions)

• Food and feed chain disruptions;

• Public policy on carcass disposal;

• Federal and state agency response and training experience;

• Carcass treatment (management) options;

• New and emerging technologies for euthanasia, carcass treatment/disposal, and disinfection;

• Secure Food Supply Planning:

• Final product use and disposition;

• Nutrient cycling;

• NADPRP funded projects;

• Disease Response SME Training continuing education

 

Who Should Participate

Researchers, practitioners, livestock industry personnel, engineers, representatives of the meat packing industry, emergency response personnel and responders, policymakers, federal and state government stakeholders, agriculture agency personnel, zoos, game farms, stockyards, disposal policy subject matter experts and apprentices (e.g., those that inform on and influence policy, influencing public perception and education of community members).

The symposium aims to bring together an international community to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of mortality management and we encourage our international partners to participate.

First-time presenters are welcome! We actively encourage people who have never presented at a conference to submit abstracts. Presenting at a conference is a great way to practice presentation skills, establish credibility in the community, connect with others in like and different fields and introduce yourself to others in the sector. It is also a great way to meet new people and establish contacts for future knowledge-sharing and collaborations. Don’t be shy – you will get a lot out of it and have fun at the same time.

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Paper Submission Details

Conference papers will not be peer-reviewed, but should contain authoritative information, pertinent references, and similar types of validated information typically published in respected journals, such as BioCycle. Submission of presentation slides will not be accepted in lieu of a paper. Papers and posters submitted for the purpose of marketing products or services will not be accepted. Equipment manufacturers and service providers are welcome and encouraged to participate in the symposium.

 

Both papers and posters must address the following key questions:
1. What is the overall purpose of the project/event that you are reporting?
2. What key activities (data collection, policy development, educational programming, etc.) were carried out?
3. What were the major conclusions or outcomes of your project, research or incident management?
4. What was the incident? Include discussion of management strategies and lessons learned.

 

To Submit Your Presentation for Consideration:

1. Click here to complete the online application. If your application was submitted successfully, you will be taken to a confirmation page.

1. Submit your paper or poster to International Symposium Presentations. Need to make sure all the links are fully functional.

2. Receipt of your application will be acknowledged via email within 14 days of submission. If you do not receive an acknowledgement or experience problems submitting your presentation online, contact the symposium proceedings committee at
   Attn: Program Subcommittee. 

3. For additional information, examples of past paper and poster submissions, paper and poster templates, and poster guidelines, please visit the Symposium’s Call for Papers and Posters webpage.

Important Dates

Abstract application deadline is 12 PM CST, January 10, 2025.

• The Program Committee will notify applicants regarding acceptance by February 11, 2025.

• To be included in the proceedings, papers and posters must be emailed to the symposium Program committee in Adobe PDF format, no later than April 8, 2022. 

 

Symposium Proceedings

Items meeting the deadline and formatting requirements will be bound in an electronic proceedings document (PDF format) that will facilitate rapid searching of both paper and poster content. Symposium proceedings will be made available electronically at no cost via the symposium website at https://www.animalmortmgmt.com/.