Rapports, Archives: 64th Session - Appendix 1
FMD Situation in Europe and other Regions in 1999/2000
John Ryan, EuFMD Secretariat
No outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) have occurred in Europe since the end of November 1996, when one outbreak due to type O was reported in the village of Malko Sharkovo, Bulgaria at the border with Turkey.
However the threat of introduction of FMD into Europe from Turkey, the Middle East, the Trans-Caucasian countries and North Africa persists. The virus continues to be present in the Middle East, Turkey and sporadic cases are still reported from the Caucasian region.
Only two member countries, Turkey and Israel reported outbreaks of FMD in 1999. Turkey alone has reported outbreaks of FMD in 2000.
Globally, 60 countries officially reported outbreaks of FMD to the OIE, WRL or FAO in 1999. Forty one countries reported outbreaks of only one serotype - predominately type O - and 19 countries reported outbreaks of 2 or more different serotypes. Serotype O was reported in 49 countries, A in 17 countries, Asia 1 in 6 countries, SAT 1 in 5 countries, SAT 2 in 6 countries, SAT 3 in 1 country and there were no reported outbreaks of type C in 1999.
The following section gives the full description of the FMD situation in 1999 and is accompanied by maps. However, because the number of official reports for 2000 up to the time of the meeting is low the section following the 1999 report will contain descriptions of the new outbreaks reported in 2000 to the time of the meeting.
In August the EU lifted the ban on imports of live animals from Bulgaria which was imposed three years ago at the time of the last outbreak in 1996. Bulgaria regained its OIE FMD free status in October 1997.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was declared officially free of FMD without vaccination by OIE. It was the only country to gain this official status in 1999 and this increased the number of countries on the list from 52 to 53.
See Item 3
See Item 4
FMD type O outbreaks were reported from Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
FMD type A outbreaks were reported from Georgia, Iran and Turkey. The WRL has reported that a new type A strain (A/Iran/99) has been identified in Iran. Its characterisation by nucleotide sequencing indicated a significant difference in the sequence of the gene coding for the structural protein - VP1 - in comparison with previous isolates, including A/ Iran/96. All but one of the type A outbreaks in Turkey were located close to the borders with Iran and Georgia and also were significantly different from both A/Iran/96 and the standard vaccine strain ( A Mahmatli) used in Turkey. ARRIAH, Vladimir, reported that the A virus responsible for the outbreaks in Georgia was analogous to A/Iran/96.
FMD type Asia 1 outbreaks were reported in Iran and Turkey.
See Item 2: Update on the Situation in North Africa.
FMD type O outbreaks were reported from Algeria, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Uganda.
FMD type A outbreaks were reported from Kenya and Mali.
FMD type SAT1 outbreaks were reported from Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
FMD type SAT 2 outbreaks were reported from Burundi, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda & Zambia.
FMD type SAT 3 occurred in Zimbabwe.
In addition to the above, outbreaks of FMD were reported from Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Mauritania and Senegal where no serotype has been identified.
FMD type O outbreaks were reported from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan Province of China, Thailand and Vietnam.
China resumed reporting disease outbreaks to OIE after some years of silence. A new strain of FMD type O was reported to be spreading across mainland China in both cattle and pigs. It has been officially reported from the Provinces of Fujian, Hainan and Tibet. The disease is under control according to officials in Beijing who denied that the disease caused a widespread epidemic. The FMD situation is monitored by the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute. Pork prices fell by 60% in central Provinces and Russia has banned imports from China.
FMD type A outbreaks were reported from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Thailand.
FMD type Asia 1 outbreaks were reported from India, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar.
FMD type O outbreaks were reported from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador.
FMD type A outbreaks were reported from Bolivia, Columbia Peru and Venezuela. FMD (type A) returned to Peru after an absence of 27 months (April 1997). The disease was detected in the Province of Sullana and resulted in the slaughter of 161 animals towards the end of July. Emergency vaccination has been carried out in Sullana and in the nearby Ayabaca province. Peru's Veterinary authorities have stepped up their campaign against FMD in recent years. Measures have included tighter control over vaccine quality and the number of animal vaccinated in each county in each campaign. However the Government has been unable to stop illegal import of cattle from Ecuador and Bolivia. Cattle smuggled from Ecuador are thought to be the cause of this latest outbreak.
The following is a description of the significant outbreaks of FMD in 2000 to the time of the meeting.
Information from the WRL in February 2000, indicated that samples received from Iraq were positive for FMD virus type A. On further characterisation by nucleotide sequencing, it was reported that this virus was closely related to the Iran 96 topotype.
An outbreak of FMD virus type O was reported to the OIE in late January by the Malaysian authorities. The outbreak occurred in Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Selangor and affected small cattle holdings and a nearby commercial piggery. There were 6 cases out of 1000 susceptible cattle and 768 cases out of 24 000 susceptible pigs. Quarantine measures and modified stamping out were used to control the outbreak.
Panaftosa reported an outbreak of FMD type A in Peru in their weekly report for the 3rd week of 2000. There were no further details except the location of the outbreak which was in central Peru near the Pacific coast.
On the 4th February 2000 Taiwan Province of China reported 3 outbreaks of FMD type O - analogous to O/Taiwan/99 - in cattle to OIE. The outbreaks occurred in Yunlin and Chiayi prefectures. There were 79 cases out of a susceptible population of 265, and 3 calves died. The control measures instigated were stamping out, destruction of milk, strict hygienic control and quarantine measures around the farms and the instigation of a nation-wide vaccination campaign.
This report was followed two weeks later by a report on the 18th February from Taiwan province of China of an outbreak of FMD type O - analagous to O/Taiwan/99 -in goats in Changhwa prefecture. Young kids only were affected and 22 affected animals died. The number of susceptible animals was 270 and all surviving animals were stamped out. The fact that only kids were affected could be explained by the fact that all animals over 3 months old were vaccinated on 26th January 2000. The same measures as previously were implemented with a strengthening of the mass vaccination campaign.
This report was followed two weeks later by another report of FMD type O/Taiwan/99 in goats in Kaoshiung prefecture. The history again was of large numbers of young kids dying during the previous week. There were 49 deaths out of a susceptible population of 295. There were no clinical signs in adult goats and vaccination had taken place on the farm on the 18th February.