SierraEquest Online: Emerging Infectious Disease
Network
Internet: http://www.sierraequest.com/eidnet
FEDERATION OF VETERINARIANS OF EUROPE ISSUES
STATEMENT ON FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE)
represents all the veterinarians of Europe. Its biggest division is the Union
of European Veterinary Practitioners (UEVP), which represents all those in
practice.
FVE and UEVP together issue the following statement.
The current outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Europe is a disaster
not only for agriculture but also for many related enterprises and
organizations. FVE and UEVP offer their support to all those fighting to
control the disease and to all those directly or indirectly affected by it.
FVE and UEVP share the concern of the general public over the death and
destruction of large numbers of animals, many of which are not infected with
the disease.
This situation results from several factors, among which is the non-vaccination
and "stamping out" policy adopted in the 1990's to eradicate the
disease and to open new export markets. This policy leaves however
non-vaccinated countries vulnerable, as the current outbreak demonstrates.
Emergency vaccination
There has been extensive debate on whether vaccination should be used to combat
the current outbreaks. The answer is not simple and, if vaccination is used, as
part of the control strategy, there are many ways in which it could be
employed.
This is a risk management decision, which must be based on epidemiological
data, such as geographical and climatic conditions, the density of the
susceptible animal population, and the susceptible species involved, as well as
on ethical concerns and not on economic grounds alone.
FVE and UEVP welcome the latest decisions from the European Commission to allow
emergency vaccinations in the Netherlands and in the UK as an instrument of
risk management.
Fate of vaccinated animals
It has to be recognized that the killing and destroying of vaccinated animals
requires a political decision and depends on how quickly a country wishes to
regain its FMD-free status.
If FMD occurs in an FMD free country or zone where vaccination is not practiced
(like the European Union) and if the infected country has recourse to emergency
vaccination, with stamping-out and serological surveillance, the country can
only regain its FMD free status 3 months after the last case and after the
slaughter of the last vaccinated animal.
If vaccinated animals are not slaughtered, the situation is more complex and
needs to be discussed in the context of the International Animal Health Code of
the Office International des Epizooties, the world organization for animal
health.
On the other hand, the Amsterdam Treaty recognized animals as sentient beings
and Member States consequently agreed that the Community and Member States
shall pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals to ensure improved
protection and respect for the welfare of animals.
FVE and UEVP therefore urges Member States of the European Union and the
European Commission to explore with the Office International des Epizooties the
options for dealing with vaccinated animals and for minimizing the unnecessary
slaughter of healthy animals to regain FMD free status.
Rehearsal of the FMD risk management strategy
This major outbreak demonstrates that the European Union FMD risk management
policy may not be appropriate or that the risk assessment, on which it is
based, should be reviewed.
FVE and UEVP call for a review of the FMD risk management strategy. This review
should include a discussion of the EU non-vaccination policy as well as other
aspects, which may have contributed to the seriousness of the current outbreak.
Non-vaccination policy
The benefits of the non-vaccination policy will have to be reviewed in the
light of the current developments. In that review the benefits of persevering
with a non-vaccination policy in order to preserve export markets have to be
set against the implications for the farming community, animal welfare, ethical
values and the acceptance of such a policy by the public.
FVE and UEVP call on the Commission to initiate a debate on the non-vaccination
policy, not only in regard to FMD but also to other animal diseases such as
Classical Swine Fever.
Marker vaccines and diagnostic tools
Marker vaccines and/or diagnostic tools that could allow the vaccination of
animals, whilst enabling to make a distinction between vaccinated animals and
animals carrying the virus, are needed, as they could provide greater
flexibility in the prevention and combating of FMD outbreaks. Such marker
vaccines and/or diagnostic tools are however not yet available.
FVE and UEVP call on the European Commission, Member States of the European
Union and the pharmaceutical industry to actively pursue the development of
marker vaccines and/or diagnostic tools.
Tighter controls on imports from third countries
It is likely that the infection originated from material entering the EU from a
third country. This illustrates the need for stricter controls at the European
Union external borders.
FVE and UEVP call on the Commission and Member States to introduce and
implement tighter controls on imports from third countries so that the same
situation does not happen again.
Swill feeding
It is also likely that this infected material was fed to pigs and that the
virus then spread from this first contamination. Although, swill (i.e. treated
household and catering waste) fed to pigs should be heat treated to destroy
possible pathogens , experience demonstrates that these requirements are either
not always sufficient or not complied with in all cases.
FVE and UEVP therefore call for a review of the practice of swill feeding and
for a phasing out of such activities.
On-farm veterinary presence
It is also likely that the original infection in the UK had been present on a
farm for some time before it was eventually discovered in a slaughterhouse
during an ante-mortem inspection and reported to the authorities. Had the
infection been diagnosed on the farm, earlier animal movement restrictions
would have been introduced, thus avoiding the spread of the virus and limiting
the total number of outbreaks.
FVE and UEVP therefore call for adequate veterinary presence on all livestock
holdings so that catastrophic diseases such as this are identified more
quickly. FVE and UEVP also call for the development of herd health surveillance
programmes involving routine visits by practicing veterinary surgeons.
Resources
This major disease outbreak has strained the State Veterinary Service of the
Member States concerned to the limit. This confirms previous reports from the
Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission that many Member States
of the European Union have inadequate veterinary manpower to deal with not only
animal health but also animal welfare and veterinary public health
requirements, including such control measures as the BSE ones, imposed by the
European Union legislation.
FVE and UEVP call on the Member States of the European Union to ensure
thattheir veterinary services are properly resourced.
Animal identification and animal movement controls
The control of this outbreak has been complicated by difficulties in tracing
animal movements due in particular to the lack of an effective system of
identification of all farm animals. Furthermore, the ANIMO system, used in the
European Union to track movements of animals between Member states of the
European Union must be improved to a more effective system.
FVE and UEVP call for the identification of all farm animals allied to a more
effective system for tracing all animal movements be they international, within
a Member State, or between individual livestock holdings.
Movement restriction
It seems that the spread of the virus has been facilitated by intensive animal
movements from farm to farm throughout the UK, then from the UK to the
continent and eventually from farm to farm on the continent.
FVE and UEVP invite the Commission and Member States to consider the
introduction of standstill periods to limit movements of animals recently
introduced on a farm.
Stephen M. Apatow, director of international research and development for
Humanitarian Resource Institute and SMAMedia Communications. For additional
research information sources on Foot and Mouth Disease, visit the SierraEquest
Online EIDNET FMD web site at:
http://www.sierraequest.com/eidnet/fmd.html
 |
|
|
