Rapports, Archives: 64th Session - Appendix 6

FAO Sponsored activities in Turkey and Iran:

 

Introduction

The appearance in Iran in 1996 and in Turkey in Dec. 1997 of a new type A FMD virus (A/Iran/96) that was antigenically distinct from existing vaccine strains and from previous type A viruses in the region, caused great alarm in the international community. EuFMD and its member countries were particularly alarmed by the threat of rapid spread of the virus from Turkey to the rest of Europe where the entire populations of cattle, small ruminants and pigs were fully susceptible to the virus after years of freedom from the disease without vaccination.

Various measures were put in place to protect Europe in 1998, including a vaccination campaign in Thrace against the new virus type, and an international expert in FMD Control was sent to the region to report on the disease control situation in both I.R. Iran and Turkey and suggest ways to improve the control of FMD in both countries. The result of his mission was a proposal for a TCP (Technical Co-operation Project) between FAO and both countries.

After some initial concerns from the TCP unit in FAO that the proposed project did not meet the criteria for Emergency TCP's, an amended project was finally agreed in late 1999 after yet another new antigenically distinct type A virus emerged and serotype Asia 1 re-invaded both countries after a lapse of many years.

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Main Elements of the TCP

 

Co-operation

The most important aspect of this TCP is its catalytic role in developing a good professional relationship between the veterinary services of both countries. It is hoped that the strong co-operation and good personal relationships required during this TCP will be continued into the future and that this co-operation will form the basis of any future FMD control initiatives in the region.

 

Inputs by FAO

Aside from the technical services provided by the Secretariat of EuFMD and their colleagues in the Animal Health Division, FAO is contributing US$355 000 towards the various activities outlined in the work plan. A large proportion of this budget - 51% - will be spent on acquiring equipment and reagents for the diagnostic laboratories and vaccine production plants in both countries. The other major budget components are Training; Expert Missions; a letter of agreement with the World Reference Laboratory and Travel.

 

Work Plan

The summary of the activities is outlined below:

  • Community Awareness activities for FMD and the National Control Programs

  • 3 Meetings of the National Project Co-ordinators to develop the co-operation and ensure smooth running of the project.

  • 2 visits by two FMD experts from each country to offer advice and participate in training workshops.

  • A 4 week mission by an international expert in FMD to catalyse the start of the project and advise on the key areas for improvement over the course of the TCP.

  • Procurement of Equipment and Reagents for both countries as prioritised by the International Consultant.

  • Training in FMD virus diagnosis, typing, serological tests (including antibodies to the non-structural viral proteins) and virus characterisation techniques for 1 scientist from each country at the World Reference Laboratory, Pirbright, UK for one 1 month

  • Training in FMD Vaccine Quality Control, Vaccine Quality Assurance and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quantification of FMD antigen for 1 scientist from each country at the ID-DLO, the Netherlands for one month.

  • Two 2 week technical workshops and training sessions will be held one in each country to formally exchange expertise and training in specific tests and techniques. These workshops will help disseminate the knowledge learned on the training sessions above and will leverage off the combined expertise attending.

  • Two backstopping missions from FAO HQ.

  • A Research programme will be conducted under the guidance of the WRL.

Outputs

The objective of this TCP is to improve the overall FMD situation in both countries through the provision of emergency assistance to control the spread of the new FMD viruses, the strengthening of the technical capability for monitoring FMD occurrences in the region (an essential pre-requisite for rapid and effective control) and the introduction of means for the overall future control of FMD, with benefits accruing to the progressive control of other serious communicable diseases of animals in the region. The specific expected outputs are:

  • control over the spread of type Asia 1 virus in the region;

  • enhanced interregional communication and collaboration with respect to transboundary movement of FMD and other epidemic diseases;

  • improved knowledge of the movement of animals within the countries and between the two countries;

  • intensified field surveillance activity and improved reporting systems;

  • improved capability for laboratory diagnosis and characterisation of the virus;

  • strengthened capacity and capability for serological testing and seromonitoring;

  • improved vaccine quality, potency and relevance to circulating field viruses;

  • improved control strategies and vaccination campaigns;

  • heightened community awareness of, and involvement in, FMD control and emergency preparedness;

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Progress to Date

 

Mission of the International Expert

The mission assessed the current FMD situation in each country and the capabilities of the National Veterinary Services to mount successful control campaigns for the disease. Based on a thorough examination of the FMD situation, the National Veterinary Service's Control Plan, the Epidemiology system, the National Diagnostic Laboratories and the National Vaccine Production Institutes, the mission finalised details of the TCP such as the topics to be covered in the International Study Tour and the training workshops, the individuals that would most benefit from the study tours and training workshops, the organisation of the joint research project and also the lists of equipment and reagents that are needed most urgently in each country.

In addition to those details, the co-operation and good professional relationships hoped for in the TCP began most promisingly with everyone benefiting from the excellent hospitality, openness and professionalism of both National Veterinary Services. Many opportunities for the exchange of reagents, epidemiological information and professional visits were identified and commitment were made to actively pursue these outside the terms of the TCP.

Finally, the mission addressed the specific weaknesses in each country's FMD control situation.

 

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Main Problems with Disease Control

 

Animal Movement

There is extensive movement of live animals - sometimes illegally - both internally and across the international borders of both countries.

This is compounded by the fact that both the countries themselves and neighbouring countries are endemic for FMD.

The main reasons for these movements are cultural and historic traditions of animal movement, nomadic and transhumantic movements and most importantly due to large price differentials for meat in the region. This is most notable between Afghanistan where the price of meat can be up to 5 times lower than in Turkey.

While such large price gradients exist between Istanbul and countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, it will be extremely difficult to stop animal movements.

While officially forbidden, animal movements will necessarily be illegal. There is a large recognition of this problem in both countries and efforts are under way in both countries to mitigate the effects of this illegal animal movement.

Control of Animal Movements between the two countries is an area with great scope for improved collaboration during the course of this TCP.

 

Vaccine Relevance

The relevance of the FMD vaccine to circulating field strains is difficult to achieve in the region due to the continual emergence of antigenically distinct new type A viruses and the constant introductions of new viruses with live animals arriving from the East.

Including many valances in the vaccine and constantly monitoring the circulating field viruses is difficult and puts pressure on limited resources.

The capability to accurately diagnose and characterise circulating field strains is currently present in Turkey and will be introduced to Iran during this TCP.

 

Vaccine Quality

In both countries, there are question marks over the potency of the locally produced vaccine.

In both countries plans are at an advanced stage in transferring the final control of the vaccine from the producing institute to an independent quality control laboratory. In Turkey, responsibility for QC will soon be transferred from the SAP Institute to a newly constructed vaccine control facility in Bornova. In IR Iran, responsibility will soon be transferred from the Razi Institute to the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

In neither country does vaccine production comply with the principles of GMP and modern Quality Assurance systems.

A persistent problem in both countries is the availability of susceptible cattle for potency testing by challenge.

 

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Strategic Priorities for the Control of FMD in IR Iran

 

To concentrate on evaluating, and if necessary improving, the quality of the nationally manufactured FMD vaccine in respect of:

  • incorporation in the vaccine of viral strains relevant to the current and evolving field situation

  • assurance of vaccine innocuity

  • assurance of vaccine potency by challenge testing in cattle, and by adopting the acceptance criterion of a minimum of 3 cattle PD50 per valency per cattle dose.

To prioritise the national vaccination campaign to make best use of the currently available vaccine in the following order of precedence:

  • regular vaccination and revaccination of high yielding, intensively managed dairy cattle (as currently practised)

  • regular vaccination and revaccination of cross-bred dairy cattle (as currently practised)

  • regular vaccination and revaccination of indigenous cattle

  • vaccination of sheep and goats

To increase the availability of FMD vaccines of adequate quality in order to meet all national requirements.

To further strengthen the various elements of the control of animal movement, both of movement across international borders (particularly from the East) and within I R Iran.

To define the national plan for the control of FMD, including a contingency plan, and to revise these at least annually, or more frequently as called for by developments in the epidemiological situation.

To increase the support and involvement of the agricultural community in the control of FMD.

 

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Strategic Priorities for the Control of FMD in Turkey

 

To concentrate on evaluating, and if necessary improving, the quality of the nationally manufactured FMD vaccine in respect of:

  • incorporation in the vaccine of viral strains relevant to the current and evolving field situation

  • assurance of vaccine innocuity

  • assurance of vaccine potency by challenge testing in cattle, and by adopting - to the greatest extent possible - the acceptance criterion of a minimum of 3 cattle PD50 per valency per cattle dose.

  • installation of independent quality assurance testing and release of FMD vaccines.

  • accelerating the development and introduction of oil adjuvanted FMD vaccine.

  • increasing the availability of FMD vaccines of adequate quality in order to meet all national requirements.

To increase active epidemiological surveillance in order to improve the level of national coverage and to obtain the earliest possible recognition of new foci and of the emergence of new virus types and variant strains.

To extend the ongoing programme for the identification of individual animals as rapidly as possible.

To continue to strengthen measures for the control of animal movement, especially at the eastern borders and across the Bosphorous and the Sea of Marmara, and also within the country.

To continue to increase the support and involvement of the agricultural community in the control of FMD.

 

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