SLAUGHTER AND DISPOSAL PROCEDURES RAISE QUESTIONS
REGARDING POTENTIAL AVIAN SPREAD OF FOOT AND MOUTH
Carcass disposal associated with mass slaughter
and the capacity to rapidly eliminate the source of Foot and Mouth (FMD) virus
is described as essential for prevention of further spread as well as the
possibility of recurrence or recrudescence of FMD in the future. According to
the Executive Summary of the 1994 USDA:APHIS:VS paper Foot and Mouth Disease -
Sources of Outbreaks and Hazard Categorization of Modes of Virus Transmission:
"Sources were reported for 627 of more than 880 primary FMD outbreaks
worldwide from 1870 through 1993 with 22 percent attributed to airborne
transmission or birds."
The AVIS Consortium consists of a working partnership between the Institute for
Animal Health, UK; The Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome; L'Office
International des Epizooties, Paris and Telos ALEFF Ltd., UK and has provided
the following information on disease eradication, slaughter and disposal:
"The objective of carrying out a slaughter policy is to eliminate the
source of FMD virus. Ruminants infected with FMD can become persistently
infected carriers of the virus. Vaccination does not prevent the establishment
of carriers. There are currently no entirely reliable diagnostic tests to
detect carrier animals and there is no method of 'curing' the carrier state.
For these reasons, slaughter of animals is theonly way of ensuring complete
elimination of the virus. The aim of disposal is to destroy carcasses in a way
that minimizes the possibility of further spread of disease."
As for the potential impact of prolonged exposure of the FMD virus source to
the ecosystem, the USDA APHIS paper on FMD outbreaks categorizes ticks, flies,
and biting flies as high hazards, based either on transmission capability or
long carrier status (mechanically or biologically). Houseflies can carry FMDV
both externally and internally; whether they can transmit the virus is unknown
(length of carrier status: 10 weeks) with experimental transovarial infection
of a portion of a population of Dermacentor ( Anocentor ) ticks has been
reported (length of carrier status: 15-20 weeks).
For Equestrian News and additional research information sources on Foot and
Mouth Disease, visit:
Emerging Infectious Disease Network (EIDNet)
Topic: Foot And Mouth Disease
http://www.sierraequest.com/eidnet/fmd.html
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