Appendix 17B

Appendix 17B

REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES of the EUFMD COMMISSION IN 2005 AND 2006

Key Points 1. The activities have followed the recommendations of the 36th Session, and focussed on five categories of action, as set out in 2005-8 Strategic Plan agreed at the 36th Session. A separate Report is provided summarising the Progress in the Implementation of the EUFMD Strategic Plan for 2005-8, Reporting Period 2007-8 (Item 1 Appendix 1). 2. As agreed at the 36th Session, the major outputs or outcomes for the four year period should be: an improved system for monitoring FMD virus strain circulation, operational technical constraints to preferred European FMD control policies reduced system for professional development in FMD management developed

FMD risk surveillance and management programmes operating in target countries

FMD incursions/emergencies rapidly controlled, where supported by specific Commission decisions. 3. A new funding agreement was been signed with the EC (DG-SANCO), in September 2005, for 4.5 million €, and revised to 8 million € in 2006, after the 72nd Executive Session and following review of the likely program and emergency support costs in 2006-8. 4. The Secretariat (Secretary and Clerk), funded by members contributions, have acted to implement decisions of the 36th Session and subsequent Executive Committees. In the period 2005-2006 the Commission has been greatly assisted by an additional Associate Professional Officer (supported by Ireland). Since staff costs are met by the Commission, almost 100% of the external funding (EC, and FAO) goes to cover the additional costs of the actions - for example in supply of vaccines, diagnostic kits, workshop costs. 5. Under the Implementing Agreement with the EC for activities of the EUFMD Commission, the staff of the EUFMD Secretariat provided the project management and technical backstopping, and have been greatly assisted by the Chairman of the Research Group and the other elected technical experts from member countries who provide technical advice, and assist in missions usually without charge, and through contract services with the specialist institutions such as the FAO World Reference Laboratory in the UK. 6. The co-ordination and co-operation between the EUFMD Secretariat and the counterpart at EC , with the focal point at the FAO/OIE/EC Reference Laboratory for FMD at Pirbright, and the Chairman of the Technical Committee has been excellent (CRL), and strongly contributed to effective decision making in crisis situations 7. The position of the Commission in relation to the FAO Animal Health Service ensures that activities are co-ordinated and informed by FAO involvement in the wider region, and complement and contribute to goals and outputs of the FAO Regular Programme. 8. The funding from SANCO has enabled several major actions to be continued or implemented, aimed at reducing the risk of exotic FMD transmission across the Eurasian borders: a. The continuation of a bi-annual vaccination in the buffer zone (BZ) in the TransCaucasus on the side of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, through 2005 to the spring campaign of 2007 (limit of agreement at time of report). In 2006 this support program was significantly strengthened by recruitment of a full time regional epidemiologist and national consultants. b. The funding, from November 2005 of a project to support the I.R of Iran in surveillance and epidemiology (US$761,000 over 3 years), assisted by a full time consultant seconded by France to FAO and based in Tehran (Francis Geiger). 9. The balance in EUFMD activities in the period has been towards operational support to disease surveillance and emergency control in South-East Europe, because of the severe, sweeping regional FMD epidemics with types A Iran 05 (2005-7), the risk of the A Egypt 2006 epidemic, and a regional epidemic caused by incursion of a new variant of O PanAsia (late 2006 to current). 10. The EUFMD effort has been co-ordinated with the EC and OIE, and several international meetings have been held to assist countries to combat the type A and type O regional epidemics (Paris, Teheran, Tbilisi, Damascus, Ankara) , in addition to the routine six-monthly Sessions of the Executive to review the risk situation and the balance of actions. 11. Therefore maintaining a balanced program, between actions to improve prevention and capacity for containment (outcomes 1-3 in the Plan) and effort to implement field actions/projects including emergency measures (Outputs 4 and 5) has been affected by the high demands of the emergency situation.

12. The recommendations to strengthen EARLY WARNING of new virus threats through promoting and supporting sample collection in key risk countries has been implemented only to a limited extent. However the need to move the balance towards prevention is illustrated by the 2005-6 epidemic situation, in which FMD epidemics in the countries in West Asia and the eastern

Mediterranean emerged very rapidly and crossed borders before the identity and threat of the emergent viruses was recognised internationally (=an early warning failure). 13. Since the regional epidemics in 2005-6 were came from two sources, from the east, (west

Asia and south Asia), and from sub-Saharan Africa (into Egypt in 2006), several small projects have been formulated to improve sample collection in “distant neighbours”, as far as possible using the operating structures of the joint FAO and OIE Regional Animal Health Centres (RAHCs). 14. Over half (29) of the 45 recommendations in the 36th Session report have been implemented through activities/actions, 13 can be considered only partially implemented, 2 were for member countries, and one recommendation (#14, on engagement with North Africa on FMD surveillance) was not implemented. 15. In line with recommendations at the 36th Session, the activities have been co-ordinated with partner organisations (OIE, EC, EFSA) to avoid overlap and make the best use of specialist technical experience in the Secretariat and Standing Technical Committee (Research Group): a. Co-ordination of international actions to improve risk assessment for antigen and vaccine banks, working with FAO-WRL and the OIE (ad hoc group on antigen and vaccine banks, 6/2005 and 2/2007). b. Partnership in research co-ordination, with WRL/EC/OIE in the Co-ordination Action for FMD and CSF laboratories (CA-FMD CSF, implemented in 2005). c. Specialised technical support to EFSA in the panel on FMD risk to Europe – assessment and management options (finalised in 2006). Actions to prevent entry of infection 16. The situation of risk to EUFMD member countries was kept under continual review through the mechanism of Tripartite group meetings, and at the 3 meetings of the Executive Committee, resulting in decisions to continue or implement support actions in Thrace region and south

Caucasus in the period: a. With EC, support an emergency vaccination programme in Thrace region of Turkey in Feb-March 2006, b. With EC, support the strategic deployment of follow up vaccination programmes in central, western Anatolia and Thrace in autumn 2006 to counter the type A epidemic, c. With EC , tender and supply 1 million doses of vaccine to act as emergency reserve in case of flare up of the epidemics in January-march 2007, d. With EC, support the strategic deployment of EU-VB donation of 1.5 million does of FMD vaccine in February 2007, and tender for further supplies, to counter the type O epidemic, e. With EC, support sero-surveillance actions following the 2006 epidemics, and support to Turkey on outbreak investigation (through an FAO national team, ongoing). f. With EC, maintain a buffer zone if vaccination (circa 1.1 million cattle doses per campaign) in the South Caucasus, with continual modification of he vaccine content to counter the changing risk in Iran and Turkey, in addition maintain a strategic reserve ARRIAH, in case of breakthrough of the BZ. 17. The EUFMD actions, under the FAO/EC/OIE Tripartite, have assisted to stabilise the FMD situation at these border regions for Europe, despite what has been the worst epidemic situation for at least 15 years. The effective use of FMD vaccine in small and large ruminants in

Thrace region of Turkey in this period undoubtedly contributed to rapid control of introduced infection. 18. The epidemic situation has affected the eastern Mediterranean in two ways, extensions from west Asia and from sub-Saharan Africa, and the movement of viruses into this area is highly relevant and of concern. 19. The Commission also sent missions to Egypt (3 mission in 2006) because of the severe epidemic with an African type A virus, where there was a major risk of onward spread into the

ME and possibly Europe. These missions were aimed to assist Egypt in combating FMD, with the objective to reduce risk of further spread. 20. The Commission also organised several regional Meetings, with OIE and other partners: a. Tripartite meeting son FMD control in the Southern Balkans, Feb 06, November 06 b. Regional meeting on virus circulation in Iran and neighbouring countries, Teheran 2006 (organised by EUFMD) c. 3rd Roundtable on FMD in the middle-east and north Africa (organised with OIE , under GF-TADS, Damascus -11-06)

21. The situation of FMD virus circulation in other risk areas was kept under continual review through the mechanism of the Executive Committee and the Standing Technical Committee meetings. FMDV surveillance information for much of the endemic areas of the world remains in critically short supply. 22. The global focus on avian influenza has contributed to switch in attention from FMD, at times contributing to the scale of FMD epidemics. Given the human resources devoted to AI, FAO and the Secretariat have received many requests for advice and assistance to combat epidemics. Given the spread of FMD from Africa to the Mediterranean, the Secretary assisted with organisation of a Regional meeting on emergency control of FMD in the Horn/East Africa in Nairobi, August 2006.

Actions supporting risk assessment and risk management 23. Activities to note in the period 2005-6 have been: a. The Commission has continued to support sample shipment to the WRL to assist virus identification and typing in epidemiologic regions considered to pose a significant risk, and thereby to determine the suitability of antigens held in the European vaccine banks holding exists; b. Missions to Niger and Mali were conducted by EUFMD consultants, during which FMD samples were collected and support projects formulated, c. Continued reporting to the Executive on changes in patterns of FMD circulation and risk to EUFMD member countries; d. Continue support to the FAO WRL, financially and operationally, from the EUFMD Trust Fund. 24. However, given the examples of Egypt (2006) and Libya (2003), and north Africa (1999), the importance of sub Saharan Africa as source – the introductions were from east, central and west Africa , it is clear that the need to address the deficiencies in epidemic data as well as strain characterisation (O, A and SATs were involved). The Commission has therefore promoted formulation of small projects to establish active sampling in sentinel locations. 25. Promotion of regional networks, as part of the process of accelerating FMD virus typing, this approach is central to the small projects formulated on active sampling, using the newly established FAO/OIE/African regional centres in co-ordination. Actions to address technical constraints to implementing FMD control policy 26. In line with recommendations of the 36th Session, activities to address technical issues have been:

a. Supporting the implementation of a Research Group work plan developed in 2005; b. Supporting resolution of vaccination to live issues, specifically i. working group on surveillance after emergency vaccination in FMD free countries ii. support to simulation exercises on post-outbreak surveillance iii. organisation of a workshop on capacity and logistics of emergency vaccination against FMD c. Co-ordination of the efforts to increase efficiency of transfer of technical progress into practise, including revision of standards, through: i. The DG-Research Coordination Action project (with WRL and OIE) to begin in 2005; ii. technical advisory inputs of the Secretary and Chairman of the RG to OIE ad hoc groups, 27. The Standing Technical Committee (Research group) met on two occasions and continued its position as the pre-eminent, international forum for review of progress in FMD diagnostics and vaccination issues, with a record attendance of observers at the Open Section of the Session in 2006 in Paphos, Cyprus. Actions aimed at improving capacity to respond to FMD emergencies 28. Activities to support capacity in European countries to control FMD emergencies: a. Updating and continual professional development through wide participation (a record level) of European countries, and from Mediterranean basin, and the first time, a large contingent from China and the far-east in the Open Session of the Standing Technical Committee, 2006. b. Training: workshops in the Caucasus, Iran, and Turkey (the last one attended by Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria) c. Online training modules for FMD: (pilot) program to develop training resources started 2/07

Member countries 29. The number of member countries increased by one, to 34, of which 25 are EU members. The Slovak Republic joined the Commission in 2006. Specific Activities 1. The Executive Committee held three ordinary Sessions, the 72nd in The Hague, The

Netherlands, December 2005, the 73rd in Istanbul, Turkey, June 2006, and the 74th in Rome,

January 2007. The Reports of the 72nd and 73rd Sessions, in English and French, were sent to all member countries and are available on the EUFMD website, and the 74th is planned for circulation by the end of March 2007. 2. The Research Group of the Standing Technical Committee of the Commission held two Sessions during the biennium; one with restricted participation, held at The Friedrich Loeffler Institute,

Insel Riems, Germany (20-23 September 2005), attended by 23 technical experts, and a Session with an Open Section for observers in 2006 in Paphos, Cyprus, 16-20 October 2006, attended by over 140 FMD specialists. The latter is a record attendance at Research Group Session, from almost all of the National FMD laboratories in Europe including the ARRIAH OIE Regional

Reference Laboratory, and in addition representatives from FMD reference Laboratories in the

Americas, in Africa, and from national reference laboratories in the Middle East and north Africa,

Iran, Ethiopia and Kenya, and from India, and Australasia, and for the first time, a significant delegation from the China. This again highlights the importance of these meetings for stimulating technical improvements and capacity building in EUFMD member states and in neighbouring (mainly infected) countries in the region. The reports of the two sessions were sent to all

European FMD Research Institutes and laboratories and were posted on the EUFMD website. The

Chairman of the Research Group was also actively involved in the activities of the Commission, representing the Research Group at internal and external meetings. 3. Workshops were held in the 2005-2006 biennium: • Tbilisi: Regional and national workshops on contingency planning and regional simulation exercise for testing FMD contingency plans (June 2005 to December 2005). • National workshops on FMD surveillance in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in period Sept 06-Jan 2007, and in Iran in February 2006, also sub national follow workshops under the EC/EUFMD project. . • Workshop on FMD outbreak investigation principles and procedures: held in Ankara, March 16-20th 2007, with participants from Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan. • International Workshop on implementation of emergency vaccination programs: held 2-4th April, Rome (part funded by the DG-Research Co-ordination Action for FMD & CSF). 4. The EUFMD/EC/OIE Tripartite Group for FMD control in the Balkan region: The Group met on 25th November 2005 in Alexandropoulos, Greece, with an emergency meeting held in February 2006 following the type A incursion, and subsequently in November 2006 in Ankara. The 2005 meeting was important for re-confirming • the importance of maintaining a the high population immunity in Thrace region in large and small ruminants (the importance of this was demonstrated less than 2 months later with the incursion of type A Iran 05); • that a high risk period of the kurban/bayram festival was approaching and would occur in winter conditions, favouring transmission, and thereby additional preventive measures should be taken • that Thrace region of Turkey should continue to be considered a special region for disease investigation and reporting; cases of former List A diseases occurring in this region, and other diseases where occurring for the first time, should be notified without delay to the neighbouring countries, and also to OIE, EC and FAO. • that the policy of prevention of PPR through mass vaccination and eradication of PPR infection if detected in Thrace region, and to establish the necessary control on animal movements so to prevent the further entry of infection. The emergency meeting in February 2006 took place in Paris (OIE), following on from the Regional meeting on avian influenza, and was important to • review the epidemic situation, the findings of the EUFMD mission, • provide a briefing to the near neighbours (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, FYROM, Russian Federation): • review the risk of continued epidemic development • consider additional support measures The follow up to the meeting involved two further EUFMD missions, providing logistical advice to the emergency vaccination program, and on monitoring and surveillance. Further meetings occurred in the context of the EUFMD Executive Session held in June in Istanbul, and thereafter the Tripartite meeting, held 17th November 2006 in Ankara.

The question of continuation of the Tripartite was raised at this meeting, given the accession of Bulgaria to the EU, the two European neighbours are in the EU and there are regular Standing Committee meetings. The representatives of Greece and Bulgaria strongly supported a continuation of the Tripartite, at which technical and specific issues are discussed, with presence of the regulatory agencies and international organisations. The meeting recommended: • that the Government of Turkey review in depth the factors that led to the scale of the 2005-6 epidemic of A Iran 05 virus, and in particular the organisation and impact of FMD control measures applied in Thrace region in 2006; • to review the extent of national vaccination coverage in the autumn campaign, to identify areas that may present a major risk in FMD transmission to western Turkey and Thrace region, and for national spread in the winter of 2006/7. • that the additional million doses of FMD vaccine provided by EC in 11/06 (via EUFMD/FAO) should be kept in reserve to provide a strategic vaccine bank; • that additional measures be considered to reduce the risk of infection in Provinces or Districts with low immunity levels following the autumn campaign. • that increased measures are taken to reduce the risk from potential entry of exotic FMD strains across the eastern borders during the high risk period for animal movement before and after the kurban/bayram festivals. • that the FMD outbreak reporting system should be reviewed to improve the speed of detection of unusual events, to trigger further laboratory and epidemiologic investigations; In addition the PPR and bluetongue control measures were reviewed, and Bulgaria reported on the detection of sero-positive animals to BT in its surveillance in sentinel animals along the borders with Turkish Thrace. FAO was again encouraged to develop a project to assist countries in risk assessment and early warning of exotic disease risks including BT, PPR, LSD, EHD and FMD in the eastern Mediterranean region, with active involvement experts from Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria. 5. The OIE/EUFMD-FAO/EC Tripartite Group for FMD control in the Trans-Caucasus countries The group met on the following occasions: 1st November 2005, in Tbilisi, Georgia to review the technical reports of the sero-monitoring of the spring 2005 campaign, and to agree on the main principles of the continuation of the vaccination buffer zone and allied technical inputs required to strengthen capacity for FMD control. Another meeting between the CVOs and EUFMD took place on 19 – 22 June 2006 in Tbilisi, Georgia to review the achievements of the TCP/RER/3001 (A) and to plan for and agree on the main principles of the 3 year project (2006-2009) “Co-ordination of FMD surveillance and control in the Tran Caucasian countries and strengthening of emergency management capacity” as part of MTF/INT/003/EEC. Technical co-ordination of the FMD input has been assisted by appointing a regional co-coordinator (Carsten Potzsch) in June 2006, stationed in Tbilisi, who had previously acted as EUFMD consultant on the Caucasus buffer zone, in two missions in 2004/2005. The project includes continuation of the vaccination buffer zone and the following expected outputs to strengthen capacity for FMD control: Component 1:  Regional cooperation framework developed  National FMD risk management strategies formulated and implemented Component 2:  National FMD surveillance and control policies improved and implemented  National disease information systems upgraded, including geographical data/GIS and diagnostic data and information  National Emergency management plans revised and tested Component 3 – Laboratory  National reference laboratories capable to safely confirm infection by antigen detection ELISA  National capacity for FMD serology; serology for SPs for vaccination coverage and epidemiologic investigation and NSP ELISA for virus circulation  upgraded to reach performance indicators for response time and integration with Department of Veterinary Services. For detailed project activities, reference is made to the 6 monthly reports to the EUFMD Executive Committee, and papers from the EUFMD Secretariat (Inception Report, Six-monthly Project Report 2006 and Consultancy Report (Assessment of FMD Diagnostic Laboratories in Armenia and Azerbaijan). 6. Activities relating to FMD control in Iran and Central Asia The exceptional importance of this region as a source of FMDV antigenic variants for Turkey and neighbouring region is well recognised. For example, Asia-1 swept through Iran in 1999 into Turkey 149

and travelled as far as Greece in 2000, type A Iran 05 spread through Iran, Turkey and as far as Thrace between mid-2005 and January 2006, and type O PanAsia repeated this in mid 2006, with severe consequences, spreading though host of Turkey and reaching Thrace in February 2007. In 2003 the EUFMD Commission, following the 35th Session recommendations, made a request for financial support (761,000 US$ in Phase 1) from the EC for a programme of actions aimed at strengthening surveillance in Iran, especially in areas of most concern for early detection of FMDV threats to Turkey. The agreement with EC was finally received in November 2005, with EUFMD funds, and France support a veterinary technical officer (Dr Francis Geiger), to be based in Teheran and to work under EUFMD Commission for 3 years, from March 2005. The main actions of the EC funded project began in 2006, with seven pilot areas for improving surveillance initiated, in West, Central and Eastern Iran, at locations of high incidence of outbreaks and involving congregation points where exotic strains are likely to be first detected. An FMD Task Force team has been implemented in 2006, who monthly reports detailed FMD situation to EUFMD Commission. The collaboration is now working very well, with the new type O strain being reported as an alert by the project, enabling warning of Turkey. Iranian surveillance specialists of the Iran Veterinary Organisation routinely participate in EUFMD technical meetings (for example Paphos, 2006, Damascus 2006). This project is to be extended to neighbouring countries, in link with the GFTS/INT/907/ITA, to extend the surveillance to the Central Asia area. 7. Activities relating to FMD control in the Middle-East and North Africa As a result of the exceptional situation with spread of FMD type A Iran 05 and A Egypt 2006, the Regional GF-TADS Steering Committee for the Middle-East and North Africa in April 06 recommended organising regional meetings on FMD prevention and control. FAO and OIE therefore organised a joint meeting in November 2006 in Damascus, attended by numerous countries, which discussed the international risk, priorities for vaccination, and formulated recommendations to co-ordinate vaccination and other measures. The importance of the event was shown by the continued spread of A Iran 05 into Jordan, and type O new variant into Jordan, the west bank, and Israel in autumn/winter of 2006, Given the dynamic situation, a yearly FMD co-ordination meeting was recommended, with EUFMD requested to provide technical support. 8. Collaboration with the Office International des Épizooties (OIE): The Commission has worked closely with the OIE: • in FMD control through the two Tripartite groups; • in co-organisation of the FMD roundtable for the Middle-east and North Africa • Through the participation of the Secretary, and two members of the Research Group in the OIE ad hoc group vaccine and antigen banks, • The OIE has been invited as observer to all EUFMD Sessions, including Closed Sessions of the RG; • In the discussions on the development of a Global Initiative on FMD control under the joint FAO: OIE GF-TADS. Given the extensive involvement of FAO and OIE in committee work, the question of joint Committees (GF-TADS expert groups on selected issues of common interest, and which that report to both organisations) should now be raised. 9. Collaboration with the WRL and other national laboratories: The FAO World Reference Laboratory for FMD continues to play a very important role in the Commission’s activities, with the WRL represented at each of the EUFMD Sessions and providing services through a contract with EUFMD and with the FAO regular programme and experts for workshops. EUFMD/FAO is also a partner in the DG-Research funded Co-ordination Action for FMD and CSF laboratories, co-ordinated by David Paton at the Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright (WRL); the working groups in this initiative on FMD have been organised to avoid overlap and as far as possible contribute to EUFMD actions. The Secretariat has worked closely with WRL to implement support to NRLs in African and other countries to support delivery of samples for virus typing. The requirements of each situation are different and the process of supporting countries demanding in effort, and the close co-operation of WRL and EUFMD has been important to overcoming obstacles and building trust with the countries concerned. The Commission also financed the FAO-WRL Phase XIX project (reports: in the Session of the EUFMD research group), which continued to provide external quality assurance (proficiency test panels) to laboratories of member countries, and continued development of international reference sera - and can be considered to be the pre-eminent international initiative in FMDV diagnostic standardisation. 10. Publications Official Session reports and Workshop Proceedings are given in the Annex to the final report. 11. Missions Details of mission travel in 2005 and 2006 are given in the Annex to the final report.