Exhibit 8, 100416 Brazil FMD Risk Evaluation - R-Calf

6. Separation from adjacent regions of higher risk
Geographic barriers, such as mountains or expanses of water, impede the natural and humanmediated
movements of animals and animal products. In this section we highlight the geographical
and other barriers that limit introduction of diseases from other Brazilian States into Santa Catarina.
Santa Catarina is in the southern region of Brazil, between parallels 25º 56 and 29º 23 S and
meridians 48º 20 and 53º 51 W. The State has an area of 95,346 km 2 , representing about 1 percent
of Brazilian territory. Santa Catarina has two large regions separated by mountains: The coastal
area, also referred to as the eastern area, which extends for approximately 400 km along the Atlantic
Ocean; and the plateau area (or western area), the remaining 66 percent of the State’s territory. The
western area is where the greatest livestock production occurs (See Figure 2).
Santa Catarina is bounded to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and otherwise borders the States of
Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul and the Argentinian Province of Misiones. At the northern border of
Santa Catarina, with Paraná, the border is approximately 860 km long, 54 percent of which is rivers.
The remainder is formed by the Serra do Mar mountain ridge at the extreme northeast of the State.
The south border, with Rio Grande do Sul, is approximately 1,170 km long, 65 percent (750 km) of
which is formed by permanent rivers. The western border, with the Province of Misiones,
Argentina, is 237 km long, 86 percent of which runs along the Rio Peperi-Guaçú. In Misiones, the
border area is formed mainly by protected natural areas, among which is the Yaboti Biosphere
Reserve.
In addition to the geographical characteristics that control entry of products at risk for FMD into
Santa Catarina, the protection system includes 67 fixed inspection posts, strategically located at the
entry points. These inspection stations employ 429 professionals from the official veterinary
service, who work in shifts that provide uninterrupted operation of the posts. Inspection station staff
members are coordinated by an official veterinarian, and have police support. The inspection
stations are described in further detail in Section 7 of this document.
In addition, movement controls are in place between Santa Catarina (which is considered free of
FMD without vaccination) and areas of Brazil affected with FMD or where vaccination against the
disease is practiced. Similarly, there are movement controls between the CSF-free zone and the
CSF-infected zone in the northern portion of Brazil [3, 4].
Conclusions:
Although some natural barriers to animal movement into Santa Catarina from surrounding areas
exist, most of the controls of animal movement and their products are administrative. These two
factors combined (geographical and administrative separation) have prevented the introduction of
the diseases under evaluation into Santa Catarina. In addition, the lack of recent disease history for
any of the diseases under evaluation in the adjacent areas further reduces the likelihood of their
introduction into Santa Catarina.
APHIS Evaluation of the Status of the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina 30