Situation of Foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the ... - Middle East - OIE

Regional RepresentationFor the Middle EastSituation of Foot and mouth disease (FMD) in the Middle EastUpdated November 2007 1General overviewFMD remains a significant drain to the budgets of the national veterinary services of theMiddle East countries and on the livelihoods of livestock owners across the region.The disease is endemic, but periodic devastating epidemics occur that spread rapidly acrossnational and regional borders.In 2005 and 2006, the Middle East has been severely affected by two separate type Aepidemics, one which emerged in Iran (A Iran 05) in 2005 - 2006, and an incursion of anAfrican type A virus into Egypt, causing widespread outbreaks in January-July 2006.The A Iran 2005 was first observed in Iran and moved westwards into Turkey (including theEuropean part of Thrace). It has continued to spread in 2006, circulating in Turkey and Iran,and which has been detected in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.The type A which affected Egypt, differs genetically considerably from the Middle Easternviruses and was closely related to FMD viruses from East Africa.These two serotypes are still circulating in 2007 but with a lesser impact.In 2007, the apparition of the type O 1 PanAsia is the main events. This new strain in theregion is probably originated from a strain circulating in India in 2000.This epizootic strain has affected last winter Turkey, Jordan, Iran, Palestinian AutonomousTerritory and probably Lebanon, causing death in young animals.Almost all countries operate vaccination programs mainly supplied by large ruminants, someimplement programs in small ruminants without a specific and adapted strategy. Theseprograms, conducted to avoid virus circulation in ruminant population have not been proveneffective.These vaccination programs use vaccines from a wide variety of sources, including producersbased within the region and international suppliers from Europe and India. The lack ofstandardization may be a factor affecting control.1 According to country report presented during the IV FMD Round Table – Amman – September 2007 and toanimal health situation report presented during the Conference of the OIE Regional Commission for the MiddleEast – Damascus – November 2007

Specific countries situationFrom the end of February until March 2007, outbreaks of FMD were recorded in large andsmall ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goat) in the northern governorate of the kingdom ofBahrain. The other governorates have been declared free of FMD. The serotype involved wasidentified as O1 by the Reference Laboratory in Pirbright (UK).During the first four months of 2007 in Iran, there were 381 outbreaks in cattle and 197outbreaks in sheep and goat. 5,263 cattle and 15,095 small ruminants were affectedrespectively.Kuwait reported two outbreaks of FMD during the first semester of 2007.The United Arab Emirates have not reported any FMD outbreak since April 2003. Cattle,sheep and goats and camels are vaccinated on annual basis.Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Anatolia, Turkey. At present, types O1 and Aare reported. There has been no FMD case reported in Thrace Region since 2001, but thedisease reoccurred once in 2006 (January 2006, serotype A) and again three times in 2007(serotypes A and O).An outbreak due to virus O was reported in January 2007 in the Edirne province; one outbreakin February in the province of Kirklareli and another in March in Canakkale province. Thelast event reported in Thrace region started on September 2007 and occurred in CukurpinarVillage, Kirklareli province. The vaccination of bovine animals is carried out twice throughnationwide campaigns, with a trivalent (O1Manisa+A22 Mahmatli+Asia 1) FMD vaccine. InThrace Region, also ovine and caprine animals are vaccinated with a trivalent FMD vaccineduring spring campaigns. Compensated slaughtering is implemented in outbreaks in Thrace.2007 Spring Vaccination Campaign was completed on 1 June 2007 in the whole country.In Egypt, no new significant changes occurred during the period of the report. Sporadic casesof FMD were reported in four governorates due to serotype A.In February 2007, Lebanon experienced two outbreaks of FMD, one in a farm located in AlBiqà province and another in the village of Hasbaya, Al Janoub province. The event wasdeclared resolved on 5 July 2007. A ring vaccination was conducted using a trivalent vaccine(O, Asia 1 and A 22)FMD is endemic in Sudan and it is reported almost every year during the cooler months. Thefollowing serotypes of FMD were reported in the Sudan: O, A, SAT 1 and SAT 2. 4 Samplescollected from Kassala and Gazira States in November 2006 and from Khartoum state inJanuary 2007 were sent in April 2007 to the OIE Reference Laboratory in Pirbright (UK) fortesting. Serotypes A and SAT 2 were isolated. Serotype A was isolated from samples fromKassala and Gazira states whereas SAT 2 serotype was detected in the sample from Khartoumstate. During the reporting period, 4 outbreaks were recorded in Khartoum, Gazira (centralSudan) and River Nile States (northern Sudan).In October 2007, Cyprus experienced a single outbreak due to serotype O in sheep in thedistrict of Dromalaxia. Cyprus was free from 1964 and the origin of the virus is stillinconclusive at the moment.