FMD BICOL EXPRESS 1 - AUGUST 1998

A Situation Statement to participants in the Region 5 FMD Eradication Program

Editor: Dr. Peter A. W. Harper, VFO, Bicol

INTRODUCTION

Having been here for 3.5 months (time flies when you're having fun) I thought it appropriate to share my thoughts and views on the present state and future plans for our FMD Program. I decided to use this open forum of a regional newsletter, perhaps quarterly, and to invite your contributions to future editions as a means of sharing ideas and views.

I was fortunate to inherit the Bicol program in pretty good shape with, hopefully, the majority of FMD outbreaks behind us already. Thank you all for this, as this allows us to focus on the equally more difficult step of ensuring that procedures and processes are in place to move the region towards the FMD freedom and ultimately to declare Bicol as an FMD Free Zone. However, what does this entail and is it appropriate now that we have had recent outbreak of FMD in Daraga (the first confirmed case since March this year)?

BICOL AS AN FMD FREE ZONE?

To declare Bicol as an FMD Free Zone under the ASEAN Protocols require the demonstration of extremely high standards of surveillance, monitoring and quarantine to be in place. However, we wish to aim even higher than this and put in place a program that should be of the standards required of the Office International Epizootic (OIE). Obviously this is being introduced as a long-term aim for FMD eradication in the Philippines, but the earlier we start conceptualizing this aim, the sooner we will achieve the various milestones required to achieving this standard of high quality disease control, eradication and prevention.

So what have we done in recent months to progress these aims? Let's examine these developments under the four plans of the program: surveillance, quarantine, vaccination and public education.

SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING

The most important initiative has been the recent implementation of "Negative Reporting" where each officer visiting barangays, pooling stations, markets, slaughterhouses, etc. is requested to submit a monthly list of the sites visited and pigs examined where FMD was "not detected".

I can not emphasize enough how critical this information will be as evidence of credibility of the claims that there is a viable system of disease surveillance in the Philippines. This data will be tabulated to give realistic numbers of "farm visits". The aim is to be able to justify the claim that the disease is absent, with negative report as evidence that we have a system in place that can detect FMD if it was present. At this stage we have received "Negative Reporting" data only from Dr. Mam Ajero of Daet, who has been congratulated for her efforts. We await reports from other participants! Please contact us for the appropriate report sheets if you have none.

There is also a need for "Negative Incident reporting" i.e. cases of suspected FMD demonstrated not to be so. We have examined pigs with snout abrasions and footrot lesions causing lameness, where FMD as a cause was excluded. We need many more (i.e. continuos) "exclusions" as evidence that not only is a system of reporting in place, but our officers understand the differential diagnosis of FMD. Exclusions should be submitted on FMD Investigation Report sheets. I am always happy to discuss with you the subtleties of clinical diagnosis of foot lesions resembling FMD, however suggest when in doubt, "think the worst first" and take specimens for FMD diagnosis (tissue samples, sero)..

Another important development has been the implementation of slaughterhouse monitoring and we congratulate Dr. Mateo Puatu for his initiative in this. The role of this is the dual aim of "preparing the way" in giving us confidence that the "target" population of high risk animals (from previously infected areas or adjacent to ports, within stock farms, etc.) are now serologically negative prior to conducting a major structured probability-based serosruvey, and further, as an early warning detection system (any seropositives may point the way to undetected areas of endemic infection). We are currently designing the structured surveillance protocol, however as you may expect, its implementations will be delayed until we are reasonably certain Bicol is in fact free. For this reason the recent Daraga outbreak is extremely important, as we need to eliminate the possibility that it represents undetected endemic FMD.

QUARANTINE

A reporting team from ASEAN or OIE and the various auditors of the program (FAO, AusAID, etc. ) will examine quarantine procedures very closely and expect the highest levels of protection for potential Free Zones to be in place. This is why we have increased our resources in this area, with implementation of a checkpoint at Malicboy, Pagbilao, Quezon Province (with co-operation of PVO Quezon Province, Dr. Wilmer Tolentino). We must "isolate" Bicol from endemic infection to the north (e.g. Batangas). We are also upgrading quarantine at air and sea ports with simple message billboards.. I note that my requests for the diligence of quarantine officers in maintaining footbaths at Naga City and Legazpi City airports has led to tensions developing, and whilst I regret that this has happened, I appeal to the professionalism of the officers concerned to allow us to put such conflicts behind us and continue the recent good work that has seen the footbaths well maintained. Footbaths have an important role to play in public education as they demonstrate that the authorities are "serious" about stopping spread of this virus. However, for this to be effective, footbaths must be accompanied by an explanatory "simple message" billboards that also needs to be maintained.

We are now preparing billboards for placement at the seaports of Tabaco, Legazpi City, Pilar, Pio Duran, Balatan, Virac and Masbate and have sought co-operation of the Regional DA (through Drs. Legaspi and Abordo) to facilitate the co-operation of officer's from other agencies involved in the program to ensure that such billboards are accepted and maintained. Having involved myself in the billboard negotiations with airport authorities and the wheelbath renovation at Matnog with Dr. Vic Nim, I can appreciate the difficulties involved in making these things happen. However remember that we do have support for this program at the highest national and international level and can and will make it happen with your assistance!

A system of recording of quarantine reports is necessary as ASEAN/OIE etc will need data on "numbers of seizures and stoppage" of illegal meat and animal transport and information on animal movement throughout the Philippines, as evidence of the effectiveness of the FMD Control Quarantine procedures. I would appreciate it if Veterinary Quarantine officers could give some thought to this and liase with the FMD Task Force on how best to record the evidence of their work. Thank you.

VACCINATION

Strategic vaccination for Bicol has played a significant role in the program and has now ceased as we move the program forward. It is necessary to cease vaccination at least 6 months prior to our structured serosurvey and 12 months prior to declarations of FMD-freedom. Vaccination may still have a role to play should widespread disease re-emerge in Bicol; we certainly hope this does not happen!

PUBLIC EDUCATION

The School-on-the Air (SOA) has been a terrific initiative and we are very pleased with both their conduct and apparent outcomes. We are of the opinion that the most "effective form of FMD disease control is at the barangay level, with individual pig raisers having ownership of the program and stopping virus transmission from "pigmeat, pigs and people" in their own backyards. Successful graduation ceremonies have been held for Camarines Sur, Albay and Catanduanes (totaling about 550 graduates) with Legazpi City about to happen and other provinces (Masbate, Cam. Norte, Sorsogon) and second batches to follow shortly! The SOA team is young and enthusiastic with excellent leadership from Mimi Rojo-Laurilla and locally, Ayie Alcos. Of course the role of Ellen Castro in administrative support has been critical.

CONCLUSION

From the above, it is clear there has been considerable activity in FMD control in Bicol, despite fewer cases this year. A summary of combined outbreak reports is as follows:

Place	95*	96	97	98 to 30^th August
Cam. Sur	47	43	48	8 (9*)
Catanduanes	6	1	1
Cam. Norte		1	4
Albay		8	9	1
Total	53	53	62	9(10)

*Note: level of under reporting in 1995/96 with 1997 data reflecting increased activity.

I will be overseas from August 27 to September 13 due to previous conference commitments and will return in eager anticipation of seeing further developments in the areas discussed above.

We have recently had Dr. Angus Cameron, an information system specialist, visit us, upgrade of the Bicol FMD IMS (Information Management System) and took time out to install "RAB-MAN" at the Regional laboratory of Camalig (a computer program to handle rabies submission data) and train staff in its use. We can thus expect improved disease analysis and reporting for both FMD and rabies in the Bicol region in the near future. Dr. Cameron accompanied us to Catanduanes and was very impressed by the commitment of the farmer graduates to protecting their pigs from FMD.

Note that we are preparing additional materials to help promote Bicol as an FMD Protected Area. Your assistance in the extension of the program is essential and will be most appreciated by the FMD Task Force and of course our clients, the Philippine Farming Community and consumers of the meat products. Until next time, happy hunting for the FMD virus!