EUFMD 

33rd Session

Report

Appendix 01

Appendix 02

Appendix 03

Appendix 04

Appendix 05

Appendix 06

Appendix 07

Appendix 09

Appendix 10

Appendix 11

Appendix 12

Appendix 13

Appendix 14

Appendix 15

Appendix 16

Appendix 17

Appendix 18

Appendix 19

Appendix 20

Appendix 21

Summary of the Type O Foot-and-Mouth Disease situation in North Africa as of 29^th March 1999.

This bulletin is based on the report of the ad-hoc meeting on the FMD situation in North Africa which took place in Tunis on the 9^th March 1999 between the Veterinary Services of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia and representatives of international organisations (FAO, OIE, EC) and of the World Reference Laboratory for FMD, Pirbright, UK. It also includes updates to that information as provided by the National Veterinary Services of Morocco on the 15^th Mar., of Tunisia on the 16^th Mar. and of Algeria on the 24^th Mar. 1999. The good news is that no new case of FMD has been reported since the 18^th March.  

Summary of the current position of FMD in North Africa

Algeria

Incidence of the disease

Since the beginning of the epizootic and up to the 20^th Mar. 1999, 160 farms and 139 communes out of 1541 have been infected by the disease. It is the central wilayates that have been most affected: Tizi-ouzou, Blida, Boumerdés and Bouira. These wilayates are situated all around the capital and have registered 95 infected farms, all situated one next to another with 801 cases.

Animal species affected

Butchers' cattle accounted for 90% of the cases; cows of local breeds, some heifers and milking cows accounted for the rest. Only cattle have been clinically affected. Most of the outbreaks have occurred on small family farms with 2-3 cattle. No clinical signs have been detected in sheep , even on the farms where there were both sheep and cattle.

Evolution in space

On the 20 and 21^st February 1999, 2 cases of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) were suspected in cattle belonging to a butcher in Souidania (1 case out of 2) and Birtouta (2 cases out of 56) in the Governorate of Grand Alger. These cattle were acquired on the 17^th Feb in the El-Harrach transit centre. This market turned out to be the focal point for the future dissemination of the disease. The infected cattle belonged to a dealer from the wilaya of Sétif and were introduced to the transit centre on the 16^th Feb. 1999. Cattle from the same lot were purchased by other dealers from the wilayates of Tizi-ouzou, Boumerdés, Bouira and Médéa in the centre; and Rélizane, Mostaganem and Mascara in the west of the country - where cases of FMD in these regions appeared after a lapse of 10 days. Isolated cases appeared in Khemissa -wilaya of Souk-Ahras - 50Km from the Tunisian frontier, (the origin of this outbreak is not known as the herd-owner hadn't introduced new animals for 2 months) and Meskiana - wilaya of Oum-El-Bouaghi - bordering Tunisia. Between the 23^rd and the 26^th Feb. all the cattle acquired in the transit centre of El-Harrach on the 17^th presented with clinical signs of FMD in Boumerdès, Sétif and Médéa on the 24^th and Bouira, Bordj-Bou-Arreridj and Rélizane on the 25^th.

Other cases were subsequently declared in the Centre-West of the country (wilayas of Ghilizane, Mostaganen and Mascara) on the main national road number 2 (the most westerly outbreak was in the commune of Sebdou (wilaya de Tlemcen) bordering Morocco, on the 8^th Mar.). Local markets aided the spread of the disease.

Origin of the virus

The Algerian authorities believe that the primary outbreak was in Sétif, but the precise origin of the virus has yet to be identified. Two markets (at Alger and Boufarik) which took place on the 17th Feb played an important role in the dissemination of the virus. In parallel, there exists a numerous animal movements - both legal and illegal - between the countries of the region. Many millions of Algerian sheep, the most prized in the region, leave the country each year , mostly west to Morocco. Zebu cattle were found in the Saharan Districts in the south of the country (in the south of the wilayates of 'El bayadh et Béchar) and these animals were immediately slaughtered. They did not present with FMD lesions and were not found at the origin of any outbreak but their presence demonstrates that animal movements take place on the southern frontier with Niger and Mali. The Sahara had been considered until now to be an impenetrable natural barrier for animals (except camels) and didn't require particular surveillance. Information from the WRL indicates that the Algerian strain is very close to a strain isolated in the Côte d'Ivoire in 1999 (O/CIV/8/99) with <2% in the difference between the sequences and it also has great similarities to 2 strains isolated in Ghana in 1993 (O/Gha/5/93 and O/Gha/9/93) with 9% in the difference between the sequences. These results strongly support the hypothesis that the North African virus originated in West Africa. The disease seems to be endemic in Niger and in Mali. Reports of FMD in Mauritania have also been sent to Pirbright, but virus has not yet been isolated.  

Evolution in time

The number of outbreaks increased in the second week of the epizootic between the 25^th Feb and the 3^rd Mar., the rapid implementation of a slaughter policy and ring vaccination followed by generalised vaccination campaign covering almost all of the livestock population initially controlled and then stopped the disease. From the 4^th Mar., the number of cases started to diminish, and no outbreak has been registered since the 18^th Mar. 1999.

Control measures

Slaughter and destruction of the carcasses of affected animals and slaughter of in-contact animals (bovine and small ruminant) were the measures taken to control the disease. All of the media was used since the 22^nd of Feb. to sensitise farmers and to appeal to them to participate in the prevention programme to protect their livestock. The closure of animal markets and the banning of animal movements became effective on the 23^rd Feb. in the infected wilayates and on the 25^th Feb. for the rest of the national territory. In the first week of the epizootic, ring vaccination around the outbreaks was operated, then the vaccination campaign was generalised to all of the national herd, including small ruminants along the frontier on the east of the country following the appearance of cases of FMD in sheep in Tunisia. 800,000 cattle from a total of 1,200,000 head have been vaccinated, the operation is being actively pursued. A booster will be applied after one month. Furthermore, almost 200,000 sheep have been vaccinated along the eastern border.

Central Wilayates

Western Wilayates

Eastern Wilayates

Morocco

Foot and Mouth Disease was suspected on February 25, 1999 in the province of Oujda, 5 days after being notified in Algeria. At the present time, only cattle are affected, the other susceptible species did not show the characteristic clinical signs of the disease. The disease is still confined in Oujda where 7 other foci were reported.

Since the appearance of FMD and up to March 15, 1999, eight foci were reported at 8 cattle houses totalling 113 cattle, 14 of which showed clinical signs of FMD. The last outbreak was reported on March 11, 1999.

FMD Cases in Morocco

The situation of FMD in Algeria, the geographic location of foci detected in Morocco, the nature of affected animals and the chronology of suspected cases appearance are all factors pleading the introduction of FMD virus from the Algerian territory most probably through feedlot cattle smuggling.

Control Measures taken

• Restriction of animal movement within the infected area with closing of livestock markets since March 1^st.
• Destruction of affected animals and slaughter of contacts with disinfection and incineration of manure.
• The immediate destruction and in situ burying of all susceptible animals intercepted at the borders which may have been introduced illegally. Since the appearance of the outbreak (February 25,1999), the number of animals intercepted and destroyed is 20 cattle and 110 sheep.
• Immediate launching of a cattle vaccination campaign at the frontier provinces with Algeria (Oujda, Berkane, Figuig, Jerrada, Errachidia and Ouarzazate). This vaccination was also extended to a buffer zone constituted of neighbouring provinces (Taza, Taounate, Fès, Al Hoceima, Boulemane and Nador). About 70.000 cattle were vaccinated.

Tunisia

Tunisia has had two outbreaks. The affected cattle presented classical symptoms and lesions of FMD. As regards the affected sheep, only discrete lameness was observed in certain animals without evocative signs of FMD. All the cattle and small ruminants had their last vaccination over 3 months ago and will be subject to a booster vaccination.

The First Case

The first case was reported in Grombalia, Governorate of Naebul, on the 1^st of March and was confirmed on the 2^nd March by ELISA at the National Laboratory. It affected a herd belonging to a butcher/fattener which was comprised of 28 cattle (23 bullocks aged between 18 and 24 months, 2 cows, 2 heifers and a calf of 6 months) and 110 "queue fine de l'ouest" sheep aged between 6 and 10 months. Only the cattle were clinically affected. 22 of the 28 cattle presented clinical signs. A meticulous examination of the sheep revealed that 5 of them had a slight limp but without mouth or foot lesions.

The Second Case

The second outbreak took place on the 11^th March 5Km from the Algerian border along the route between Ghardimaou and the border post at Jlaiel, Governorate of Jendouba. The farm comprised of 2 cattle (a cross-bred cow and her heifer daughter) and 7 sheep(2 rams, 3 ewes and 2 lambs - two months old). Classic symptoms of FMD were observed on one heifer and on the sheep. There had been no introductions of new animals for one year, and the animals hadn't been vaccinated in the 1998 campaign (Oct-Dec.). The lameness in the sheep commenced one week before the first visit of the state veterinarians, and 2 lambs died in this period.

Measures taken

All of the animals were slaughtered both cattle and sheep in both outbreaks. Booster ring vaccination began on the 3^rd March.

© European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease

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