With the unfolding events in Afghanistan, concern now centres on the risk of rinderpest spreading from Sindh Province in Pakistan to other unaffected parts of the country and hence to Afghanistan and elsewhere in South Asia
There is serious concern over the role that the events currently occurring in Afghanistan could have on the rinderpest situation in South Asia. Fortunately, the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme (GREP) has been coordinating serological studies in the region over the last two years and these provide a degree of confidence that rinderpest has not been circulating in the border regions of Afghanistan and in the contiguous, ecologically related areas of Pakistan in recent years. This confirms the understanding gained from clinical surveillance.
Concern now centres on the risk of rinderpest spreading from Sindh Province in Pakistan to other unaffected parts of the country and hence to Afghanistan and elsewhere in South Asia. Never have the countries of South Asia been so vulnerable to a resurgence of rinderpest.
In this final stage of the eradication process, all countries have ceased routine mass vaccination in favour of surveillance and elimination of residual foci of infection. The risk of spread within Pakistan and Afghanistan could originate from the movement of buffaloes and cattle for slaughter to feed troops and civilian personnel. Rinderpest could also spread through the movement of breeding stock to rehabilitate agriculture in Afghanistan as well as for development projects in Pakistan.
Blackwater vaccination supported by FAO at Dehdadi village near Mazar-i-Sharif
FAO MEDIA BASE/M. GRIFFIN
It is essential that everyone involved is aware of the risks and care is taken to safeguard against the spread of rinderpest through movement of livestock. Failure to do so could be disastrous, threatening not only livestock farming throughout the region, including the central Asian republics and beyond into the Near East, but ultimately threatening the whole future of GREP.
The situation highlights the urgent need to focus on rapidly eliminating the last reservoir of rinderpest in Asia, which is centred on the Indus River buffalo tract of Sindh Province in Pakistan. Only when the last reservoir has been consigned to history will the risk of rinderpest resurgence disappear.
Source of information:
Afghanistan: Dr Aggrey Majok.
TCP/AFG/065, "Progressive Control of Major Transboundary Animal Diseases in Afghanistan and Neighbouring Countries".
FAO/UNDP AFG/96/007, "Livestock Development for Food Security Programme in Afghanistan".
Pakistan: Dr Manzoor Hussain, by courtesy of the Livestock Commissioner.
TCP/PAK/8923, "Epidemiological Analysis of Rinderpest and Development of an Eradication Strategy".