Mouth Disease Outbreak Research Articles

Carcass disposal: lessons from The Netherlands after the foot and mouth disease outbreak of 2001.

The main logistical problems of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak that occurred in the Netherlands in 2001 were a lack of culling and rendering capacity. Suppressive vaccination formed the basis for the solution to both problems and was primarily used to halt the possible spread of the virus. This allowed culls to take place on vaccinated farms when sufficient culling capacity eventually became available. In addition, the vaccinated cloven-hoofed animals could be removed alive and then killed in central culling places fourteen or more days after vaccination. Using slaughterhouses as central culling places meant that parts of carcasses could be deep-frozen, which solved the lack of rendering capacity. The deep-frozen carcass parts were destroyed later, when rendering capacity became available. To guarantee that all vaccinated, culled and temporarily deep-frozen cloven-hoofed animals were eventually destroyed, a balanced audit trail, partly based on kilogram records, was vital in this situation.

Environmental impacts of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Great Britain in 2001: the use of risk analysis to manage the risks in the countryside.

Restrictions imposed for more than ten months throughout Great Britain in 2001 to control and eradicate foot and mouth disease (FMD) had a damaging effect on tourism and rural businesses. Risk assessment can play a valuable role in ensuring that the action taken is proportionate to the risk, and that countryside activities are allowed to resume when this can be done without compromising the objective of controlling and eradicating the disease. A risk assessment unit was established at the commencement of the epidemic to consider the risks posed by particular activities, to identify ways of managing those risks, and to make recommendations which could be used by policy makers when deciding what action to take. The assessments produced by the unit were published and the scientific rationale which supported policy and procedural changes was thereby exposed to public scrutiny and criticism. The author lists the activities subjected to veterinary risk assessments and describes how the process was used to consider public access to the countryside, leading to policy changes which within nine months resulted in the reopening of more than 96% of footpaths and bridleways without causing new outbreaks of FMD. A completed risk assessment is also included.

Complete sequence analyses of enterovirus 71 strains from fatal and non-fatal cases of the hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak in Singapore (2000).

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a major aetiological agent of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). In recent years, several outbreaks in East Asia were associated with neurological complications and numerous deaths. An outbreak in Singapore in October 2000 afflicted thousands of children, resulting in four fatal cases from three of whom EV71 was isolated. The genomes of two representative EV71 strains isolated from a fatal case and a surviving patient were completely sequenced, and their nucleotide and amino acid sequences compared with known EV71 strains. The two outbreak strains were classified under genogroup B, together with those previously isolated in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. Comparative sequence analysis of the two Singapore strains revealed 99% nucleotide similarity, while their deduced amino acid sequences were almost identical except for residue 1506 in the 3A non-structural region. Given that the outbreak involved closely related genetic variants of EV71, the broad spectrum of disease severity may be attributed to critical factors such as varying viral inoculation doses or differing host immune responses following infection, but is less likely to be due to the emergence of EV71 strains with heightened virulence.

Lessons from the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in the UK

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Use of molecular assay in diagnosis of hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enterovirus 71 or coxsackievirus A 16

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common illness in children and is usually caused by coxsackievirus A 16 and enterovirus 71. It has been noted that enterovirus 71 infection is more severe with significantly greater frequency of serious complications and fatality than coxsackievirus A 16. Therefore, it is important to develop a rapid and specific assay for discriminating coxsackievirus A 16 and enterovirus 71 in hand, foot and mouth disease outbreaks. In this study we designed two sets of RT-PCR primers specific for coxsackievirus A 16 and enterovirus 71. One hundred and eighty-nine viruses were evaluated for this molecular diagnosis assay. Among 110 enterovirus 71 strains, the enterovirus 71 specific primers gave clear signal for 107 clinical enterovirus 71 isolates and three reference enterovirus 71 strains. None of coxsackievirus A 16, other enteroviruses or non-enteroviruses show signal for enterovirus 71-specific primers. On the other hand, among 28 coxsackievirus A 16 strains, the coxsackievirus A 16-specific primers detect 27 clinical isolates and one reference strain but show no cross-reaction with other viruses. The molecular assay developed in this study provides a sensitive and specific way to distinguish coxsackievirus A 16 and enterovirus 71 induced hand, foot and mouth disease, which will be a useful rapid diagnostic method in future outbreaks.

Waging war on the economy. The possible threat of a bioterrorist attack against agriculture.

2001 was a difficult year for the British farmers and for the government. The foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak is now supposedly under control, but not before it resulted in the slaughter of almost 4 million cattle and an estimated cost of £5 billion to the UK economy. A national election was postponed, the agricultural department was completely restructured and British meat exports may never recover to their pre‐outbreak levels. The indirect effects were widespread, with the tourist industry suffering the greatest losses of all due to restricted access to the countryside. This FMD outbreak has been traced to a single farm in the North East of England and was due to natural causes. But if the disease had been deliberately introduced, the outcome would have been identical. ‘Agricultural bioterrorism’, or simply ‘agroterrorism’ as the phrase has now been coined, is clearly not aimed at agriculture per se , but at crippling the economy. ![][1] The events of September 11 have caused many aspects of society that were previously taken for granted to be looked at in a different light. Security, not only of the individual but also of the environment, is being re‐examined. But even before last year, there has been a steadily growing awareness, mainly in the USA, that the agricultural industry needs to be protected against a possible terrorist attack. This has resulted in increased government spending, including the establishment of a new research institute in Texas in December 2001, to investigate the potential threats and devise countermeasures. Agroterrorism could conceivably be perpetrated in a number of ways. It could manifest as a contamination of the food supply, such as the discovery in May 2000 that Palestinian terrorists had deliberately released salmonella‐ridden eggs onto the Israeli market. It is not known how many suffered food poisoning as … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif

Impact of a Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak on Australia

Impact of a Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak on Australia

The Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak, 2001: The Consequences for the Rural Landscapes of Britain

In this article five writers survey and analyse the impact on the British landscape of the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001. Beginning with the human dimension, Angus Winchester chronicles the devastating impact of the disease on the communities of Cumbria. Moving away from the epicentre of the crisis, Tom Williamson argues that the destruction of the remnant livestock industry in the predominantly arable areas of southern and eastern England would also be a disaster – visually, archaeologically and botanically. Writing from the ecologist's perspective, Ian Simmons offers some models of how agroecosystems might develop as a result of the contraction of pastoral farming. Robert White delineates the effects of the epidemic on the countryside's archaeological sites, farm buildings and nature reserves. He also argues, along with Clive Potter, that the effects of the disease on the economy of the countryside might have given rise to its most lasting legacy: a shift to a more integrated approach to the rural landscape from the British government. Potter argues that the disease has laid bare the difficult choices facing not only farmers, but also policy makers, who now have to recognise the changing nature of the rural economy.

Foreword to 'Producing and Processing Quality Beef from Australian Cattle Herds'

Markets for Australian beef throughout the 20th century have been moulded by world wars, economic depressions, droughts, transport technology, cattle breeding, trade barriers, global competition, livestock disease eradication, human health risks, food safety, Australian Government policy, consumerism and beef quality. Major ‘shocks’ to beef marketing include the development of successful shipments of chilled carcases to Britain in the 1930s, the widespread trade disruption caused by World War II, expansion (early 1950s) and then a reduction in beef exports to Britain (1956), the introduction and then proliferation of Bos indicus derived cattle in northern Australia (1960s), licensing and upgrading of Australian abattoirs to export to USA and the consequential brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign leading to record export tonnages of Australian processing beef to USA (1960–70). In 1980, increased beef trade to Japan began, leading in the late 1980s to expansion of high-quality grain finished products into that market. By 1993, beef exports to Japan (280.5 kt) exceeded those to USA (274.4 kt), signalling the significant shift in beef exports to Asia. Commencing in about 1986, the USA recognised the value of beef exports to Asian markets pioneered by Australia. Australia’s share of the Japanese and South Korean markets has been under intense competition since that time. Another major influence on Australia’s beef market in the early 1990s was growth in live cattle exports to Asian markets in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Live exports accounted for 152000 heads in 1992 and 858000 heads in 1996. Improved management systems (e.g. fences) and consequent regulation of cattle supply even in the wet season, a by-product of the brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign, were indirect drivers of the growth in live exports. Throughout the period 1940–2000, domestic consumption of beef and veal declined from 68 to 33.3 kg/head.year, reflecting competition from other foods, perceptions of health risks, price of beef, periodic food safety scares, vegetarianism, changes in lifestyle and eating habits and lack of consistency of eating quality of beef. Despite this decline, the domestic Australian beef market still consumes a significant component (37%) of total Australian beef production. In 1984–85, the reform of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation set in train a major directional change (‘New Direction’) of the beef sector in response to beef market trends. Under Dick Austen’s leadership, the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation changed the industry’s culture from being ‘production-driven’ to being ‘consumer-driven’. Market research began in Australia, Japan and Korea to establish consumer preferences and attitudes to price, beef appearance and eating quality. Definite consumer requirements were identified under headings of consistency and reliability. The AusMeat carcass descriptors were introduced and a decade later traits like tenderness, meat colour, fat colour, meat texture, taste, smell, and muscle size were addressed. These historical ‘shocks’ that shaped the Australian beef markets have all been accompanied by modification to production systems, breeding programs, herd structure, processing procedures, advertising and promotion, meat retailing and end-use. The increasing importance of the food service sector and the ‘Asian merge’ influence on beef cuts usage in restaurant meals and take-away products are the most recognisable changes in the Australian food landscape. The Cooperative Research Centre¿s research portfolio was built around the changing forces influencing beef markets in the early 1990s. Australia needed to better understand the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting beef quality. One example was the poor success rate of cattle being grain-fed for the Japanese premium markets. Another was the relative contribution of pre- and post-slaughter factors to ultimate eating quality of beef. The Meat Standards Australia scheme was launched in 1997 to address this problem in more detail. The Cooperative Research Centre contributed significantly to this initiative. In the year 2001, Australia, with only 2.5% of world cattle numbers retains the position of world number one beef trader. We trade to 110 countries worldwide. The Australian beef sector is worth A$6 billion annually. The diversity of Australian environments, cattle genotypes and production systems provides us with the ability to meet diverse specifications for beef products. A new set of market forces is now emerging. Strict accreditation rules apply to Australian producers seeking access to the lucrative European Union market. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie are a continuing food safety concern in Europe. This and the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain early in 2001 have potentially significant indirect effects on markets for Australian beef. And the sleeping giant, foot and mouth disease-free status of Latin American countries Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina continues to emerge as a major threat to Australian beef markets in Canada and Taiwan. As in the past, science and technology will play a significant role in Australia¿s response to these market forces.

Cattle supply, production systems and markets for Australian beef

Markets for Australian beef throughout the 20th century have been moulded by world wars, economic depressions, droughts, transport technology, cattle breeding, trade barriers, global competition, livestock disease eradication, human health risks, food safety, Australian Government policy, consumerism and beef quality. Major ‘shocks’ to beef marketing include the development of successful shipments of chilled carcases to Britain in the 1930s, the widespread trade disruption caused by World War II, expansion (early 1950s) and then a reduction in beef exports to Britain (1956), the introduction and then proliferation of Bos indicus derived cattle in northern Australia (1960s), licensing and upgrading of Australian abattoirs to export to USA and the consequential brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign leading to record export tonnages of Australian processing beef to USA (1960–70). In 1980, increased beef trade to Japan began, leading in the late 1980s to expansion of high-quality grain finished products into that market. By 1993, beef exports to Japan (280.5 kt) exceeded those to USA (274.4 kt), signalling the significant shift in beef exports to Asia. Commencing in about 1986, the USA recognised the value of beef exports to Asian markets pioneered by Australia. Australia’s share of the Japanese and South Korean markets has been under intense competition since that time. Another major influence on Australia’s beef market in the early 1990s was growth in live cattle exports to Asian markets in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Live exports accounted for 152000 heads in 1992 and 858000 heads in 1996. Improved management systems (e.g. fences) and consequent regulation of cattle supply even in the wet season, a by-product of the brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign, were indirect drivers of the growth in live exports. Throughout the period 1940–2000, domestic consumption of beef and veal declined from 68 to 33.3 kg/head.year, reflecting competition from other foods, perceptions of health risks, price of beef, periodic food safety scares, vegetarianism, changes in lifestyle and eating habits and lack of consistency of eating quality of beef. Despite this decline, the domestic Australian beef market still consumes a significant component (37%) of total Australian beef production. In 1984–85, the reform of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation set in train a major directional change (‘New Direction’) of the beef sector in response to beef market trends. Under Dick Austen’s leadership, the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation changed the industry’s culture from being ‘production-driven’ to being ‘consumer-driven’. Market research began in Australia, Japan and Korea to establish consumer preferences and attitudes to price, beef appearance and eating quality. Definite consumer requirements were identified under headings of consistency and reliability. The AusMeat carcass descriptors were introduced and a decade later traits like tenderness, meat colour, fat colour, meat texture, taste, smell, and muscle size were addressed. These historical ‘shocks’ that shaped the Australian beef markets have all been accompanied by modification to production systems, breeding programs, herd structure, processing procedures, advertising and promotion, meat retailing and end-use. The increasing importance of the food service sector and the ‘Asian merge’ influence on beef cuts usage in restaurant meals and take-away products are the most recognisable changes in the Australian food landscape. The Cooperative Research Centre¿s research portfolio was built around the changing forces influencing beef markets in the early 1990s. Australia needed to better understand the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting beef quality. One example was the poor success rate of cattle being grain-fed for the Japanese premium markets. Another was the relative contribution of pre- and post-slaughter factors to ultimate eating quality of beef. The Meat Standards Australia scheme was launched in 1997 to address this problem in more detail. The Cooperative Research Centre contributed significantly to this initiative. In the year 2001, Australia, with only 2.5% of world cattle numbers retains the position of world number one beef trader. We trade to 110 countries worldwide. The Australian beef sector is worth A$6 billion annually. The diversity of Australian environments, cattle genotypes and production systems provides us with the ability to meet diverse specifications for beef products. A new set of market forces is now emerging. Strict accreditation rules apply to Australian producers seeking access to the lucrative European Union market. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie are a continuing food safety concern in Europe. This and the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain early in 2001 have potentially significant indirect effects on markets for Australian beef. And the sleeping giant, foot and mouth disease-free status of Latin American countries Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina continues to emerge as a major threat to Australian beef markets in Canada and Taiwan. As in the past, science and technology will play a significant role in Australia¿s response to these market forces.

Foot and mouth disease and british agriculture: ethics in a crisis

The 2001 Foot and Mouth Diseaseoutbreak in the UK has had widespread adverseeffects – on the farming community, thetourist industry, millions of farm animals, theenvironment, and citizens' quality of life.This report summarizes the course of theepidemic and then questions the ethicalvalidity of the procedure chosen to eradicatethe disease, namely, the slaughter of millionsof animals. It is argued that the utilitarianbasis of the mass slaughter program isunjustified even in its own terms, and thatrespect for certain deontological principlesmerits increased attention in public policy.The long-term interests of UK citizens, theviability of British farming, and theconservation of the countryside all depend onurgent, critical decisions that should beinformed by a broader conception of the role ofethics in agriculture.

FTO2/438: Implementation of a Telematics System for the Management of Epidemic Emergencies

IntroductionA system to support decisions and operations in cases of epidemic emergency has been designed and implemented, in order to improve the decision-making capabilities of Veterinary Services for outbreaks of exotic diseases.MethodsThe system implementation consisted of: 1) drafting contingency plans for OIE List A diseases; 2) implementing an automated information network, linking Local Veterinary Unit and the Regional Epidemiological Centre; 3) implementing a Geographical Information System (GIS), to be automatically connected to the animal identification database and to the ANIMO (Animal Movement) system; 4) supplying the personnel of Veterinary Services with the necessary tools, instruments and materials; 5) personnel training. Integration of activities led to the implementation of a telematic support system for the management of epidemic emergencies, providing the Veterinary Services with the information necessary to the management of exotic disease outbreaks. The system has been implemented from a structural point of view as follows:Data warehouse design and implementation, fed by ORACLE DATA MART SUITE operational databases,Implementation within the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise Web site, of a controlled access telematic system, where:static pages were implemented in HTML and the dynamic ones in PERL;GIS was used to design and update maps;Downloading of documents and forms was made possible as well as the generation of tables and graphs in real time.ResultsIn the event of an outbreak it is possible to: map relevant data and information (i.e. Protection and Surveillance Zones); to produce disease trend data both in tabular and graphical form and the indicators for the disease management and control. Contingency plans of OIE list A disease are provided through the Internet for consultation and downloading. All the forms for administrative and epidemiological data collection are provided for and can sent by e-mail to the proper veterinary authority and other stakeholders.DiscussionThe system has been tested both by a simulated foot and mouth disease outbreak and a real Swine Vesicular Disease outbreak. The existence of written and standardised procedures, the availability of updated and pertinent information for outbreaks management and the support of a telematic system has allowed the rationalisation the actions to be implemented and to speed up intervention time.

Preventing and preparing for animal health emergencies in the Far East.

The advantageous geographical location of Member Countries of the Office International des Epizooties in the Far East (often islands or peninsulas) provides better isolation than that of countries with terrestrial frontiers. However, in the light of the explosive foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak which occurred in Taipei China in 1997 after nearly 70 years of freedom from FMD, countries in the Far East were alerted to the fact that while countries can be physically far or isolated from the rest of the world, they do not necessarily remain protected from epidemics and consequently need to be aware of effective methods of management of animal health emergencies. Countries in the Far East reviewed national management policies from the viewpoint of organisational structure, surveillance system, diagnostic service, vaccine stock, funding, legislation etc., and reconstructed these policies to ensure they were better organised to prevent and control malignant diseases, such as FMD, in the case of an emergency. With the accelerating and increasing movement of animals and animal products internationally, countries in the region met in Tokyo in April 1998 to discuss preparedness and management of animal health emergencies.

台湾における豚の口蹄疫の発生と地理情報システム (GIS) を用いた疫学的解析

Porcine Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in Taiwan between March and April 1997, were analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS). The prevalence of the infected pigs and infected farms linearly increased, being more than 60% and 20%, respectively, on May 8, and all the prefectures were contaminated with the virus by May 3. The case fatality rate of nearly 20% was unusually high for the FMD outbreak in pigs. The outbreak seemed to have started from the southern and northern parts of Taiwan and later spread to the central and eastern regions of Taiwan. Higher pig densities were considered to be a major factor for virus transmission and prevalence. The high slaughtering rates including suspected herds, in the early stage, restriction of animal transportation and rapid circulation of the disease information, were considered to be of importance to prevent the spread of infections.

A preliminary survey of antibody to VIA antigen of foot and mouth disease virus in Nigerian livestock.

Summary: Antibodies to virus infection associated antigen (VIA) were shown in sera from Nigerian goats, sheep and cattle. The sera were taken in 1976, approximately three years after a foot and mouth disease outbreak caused by type SAT 2 virus. This communication gives results which indicate that the gel diffusion test employed would be helpful in determining the prevalence and species distribution of the disease in unvaccinated sectors of the Nigerian live­ stock industry.

Foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Zambia.

Summary : The recorded foot and mouth disease ouibreaks in Zambia are confined to three zones. The disease is caused by SAT 1 and SATc2 virus in the two zones A and B. In national game parks close to Zone B, all three SAT types have been isolated from wildlife. In Zone C (close to the Tanzanian border) outbreaks of FMD were caused by virus type O. In the latest recorded outbreaks in zones B and C the virus strains have behaved mildly. It is believed that the rinderpest panzootic of 1896, which wiped out a large part of the ruminant population, probably also eliminated foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Southern African territories (Condy, 1979). This may be the reason why no outbreaks of the disease were reported in cattle in Zambia during the first third of this century. FMD has been seen in the country from 1933 and since then it has been recorded during 29 of the 50 subsequent years. Four virus types have been isolated : SAT 1, SAT 2, SAT 3 and O of which SAT 3 has been found in game animals only. FMD outbreaks up to 1974 have been reported before (Zyambo, 1975). This paper deals with the latest surveys and reports on FMD in Zambia.

DETECTION OF SERUMNEUTRALIZING ANTIBODIES IN CATTLE VACCINATED AGAINST FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN FIELD

A serologic?.! investigation for serum neutralizing antibodies against Foot—and—Mouth Disease (FMD) was carried out in cattle of two villages in the Evros department (near thv. turkish border), where a vaccination is being applied twice a year since 1964,using type Ο and sometimes A22 FMD vaccines. This investigation gave the following results : On 15 calves, aged 5-7 months, vaccinated or.ee no antibodies were detected before vaccination, whereas 3 weeks later only 3 animals (20° o ) showed acceptable antibody titres, that is more than 1.2. The other calves had titres 0.3 to 1.2 (7 animals = 46.6%) and in 5 calves (33.4%) no antibodies were detected. On 80 plurivaccinated cattle, 3 weeks after the last vaccination made 8 months after the previous one, the ?ntibody titres were higher than 1.2 in 75 animals (60 animals or 73,7% with a high titre that is more than 1.8, 15 animals or 19,4% with a titre 1.2 to 1.8)and only in 5 animals (6.6%) the titres were lower than 1.2. On half of the above cattle, the following titres were found before the last vaccination : )1.8 in 17 animals (42.5%), 1.2 to 1.8 in 11 animals (27.5%) and lower to 1.2 in 12 animals (30%). 1 he bovine of the one village showed a greater percentage of animals with high antibody titre comparing to the other one. This might be due to a different antigenic capacity of the vaccines used.For determining the neutralizing antibody titre the method of constant virus units and variable serum dilutions was applied using 100 TCID50/ml. The conclusion from the above results is that the bovine population of the Evros region, except the calves who are poorly immunized, ha.d a serum neutralizing antibody level satisfactory enough 8 months after vaccination and much better 3 weeks after the last vaccination. It is believed that this antibody level is related to the strong immunity in bovine of the Evros region ag.dnst the natural infection. In fact, the Foot— and—Mouth Disease outbreaks, type O, reported the last decade in this neuralgic region were very few and the most important of very limited extention, which fact gives reason to the vaccination policy followed until today for creating a buffer zoie.