Published Date: 2024-02-07 19:27:54 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Algeria (06): SAT-2 1st rep, topotype V
Archive Number: 20240207.8714725
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - ALGERIA (06): SAT-2 FIRST REPORT, TOPOTYPE V
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Date: Fri 2 Feb 2024
Source: Pig333 [edited]
https://www.pig333.com/latest_swine_news/increased-risk-of-foot-and-mouth-disease-entry-into-europe_20042/
The European Commission for the Control of Foot and Mouth Disease (EuFMD) of the FAO has informed Member States about the increase in the number of FMD outbreaks in several North African countries (Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) and a major change in the epidemiological situation with the very recent detection of serotype SAT 2 as the cause of some of the outbreaks that have occurred, a serotype that previously had only been reported in Algeria [Please note the source error: "only" should be "not"; refer to the moderator comments for more information. - Mod.SF].
Apart from the constant risk of incursion into the EU posed by the circulation of these serotypes in the region, the recent confirmation of serotype SAT 2 in Algeria is of priority interest because the vaccination programs that these countries are applying are focused on serotypes A and O and do not include effective vaccine strains for this serotype SAT 2, with the exception of Tunisia that is using a vaccine strain that could have some efficacy against it, efficacy that is being studied by the EURL at this time. On the other hand, due to the upcoming Ramadan period in North Africa, an intensification of animal movement in the area is expected.
Although the risk is always present, the aforementioned facts represent an increased risk of incursion of FMD in the EU and especially Spain given the geographical location and closer ties with these southern neighboring countries. Given this situation, Spain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) recommends extreme precautions to reduce the risk of virus introduction into Spain and Europe, through the reinforcement of cleaning and disinfection protocols for land and maritime means of transport, extreme biosecurity at border control posts, as well as reinforcing awareness of the existing risk, and reinforcing passive surveillance on farms, frequently observing animals and immediately notifying the official veterinary services of the autonomous communities of any suspicion of disease.
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[On 10 Dec 2023, Algeria reported to the WOAH 2 bovine FMDV [foot-and-mouth disease virus] outbreaks in Sétif governorate. Several reports from Algerian local media have reported the spread of the disease to other wilayas where FMD clinical signs were observed in both bovine and small ruminants (refer to the See Also posts below).
Since the immediate notification on 10 Dec 2023, no follow-up report has been submitted to WOAH. As mentioned in the report above, SAT2 has never been reported in Algeria. Information regarding country history can be found at https://www.wrlfmd.org/north-africa/algeria. Algeria's neighboring countries have also reported the re-emergence of foot-and-mouth disease. The Tunisia WOAH follow-up report can be accessed at https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/5379 and the Libya WOAH follow-up report can be seen at https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/5499.
The following text is an excerpt (machine translation) from an information bulletin issued by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture on 16 Jan 2024 (https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ganaderia/temas/sanidad-animal-higiene-ganadera/notasituacionfanorteafrica16012024final_tcm30-673498.pdf):
"Available information on the FMD virus situation in the North African region shows that there are several serotypes that could be present with a greater or lesser degree of circulation depending on serotype and country. More specifically:
- In Tunisia, new outbreaks have been detected in November 2023 due to the topotype O/EA-3 that has been present throughout 2023. The country reported that these new outbreaks have been detected in areas where there has been a delay in the implementation of the country's annual mass vaccination program.
- In Libya, new outbreaks of unknown serotype/topotype have recently been detected in the eastern part of the country in areas where vaccination has not been carried out. They have informed that they will proceed with the shipment of samples for confirmatory diagnosis and virus typing to the UERL Anses.
- In Algeria, circulation has been detected in several locations. The recent genotyping report prepared by the health authorities indicated the presence of the topotype SAT2/V, although the presence of other serotypes such as O/EA-3 cannot be ruled out.
- Morocco, the country with which Spain has the closest ties, has not reported FMD outbreaks during 2023."
Slide 7 (p. 7) of the following EUFMD presentation provides information regarding the FMD vaccination strategy of the North African countries cited above: https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2024-01/reg-com_ahw_20240123_pres-20.pdf. - Mod.SF
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Algeria: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8714725,67]