Visits to Different· ·Countries by Members of the Secretariat

In tho Uni t0d Kingdor:i, there -,,ere many introductions of foot-andmouth disease virus in 1956. Satisfactory control has been exorcised by the usuaJ. stamping-out policy ·iri th all it invol v0s by way of slaughter of stock, mover.ient control, disinfection of premises, general sanitary 1i1easures, etc. On circuostantial GVidGnce, sources of infection are fro□ ioported South Ar.ierican r,rnat and by indirect means including birds fro□ continental Europe. All restrictions had boon removed by tho end of F0bruary 1957 and th0 country ·;ms once r.1oro froo froc foot-and-mouth disease.

In Italy tho disease position is probably unaltered,

In Franco there is apparently no improvooont in the recent position. It is unde.rstood that consideration is being gi von to tho adoption of a slaughter policy for a particular region and that there arc efforts to oncourago further vaccination. There appear, hoYrevor, to be insufficient supplies of vaccine and, even if adequate, thoro a r o too few veterinarians to undertake an effective vaccina.tion progran.

Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Ireland continue to bo free froi:1 tho disease.

Yugoslavia remains free from foot-and-□outh disease and so far as information is available, tho position in Eastern Europe continues to be satisfactory.

In Greece 9 sor;1e few outbree.ks occurred during 1956g inforraation is that tho position is now satisfactory. tho latest

Austria, after a long period of freedom, became infeotod in D0cer.1ber 1956, close to tho Bavarian border. After tho r;.iddlo of January whon 42 outbreaks wore rocordod in one week, the incidence docroasod and no further outbreaks have boon recorded since 7 Fobruary. The Austrian authorities adopted rigorous r.10asuros of slaughter and vaccination. An urgent request to tho Cor.1oission for supplies of vaccine for tho purpose of intensifying tho control oeasur0s was discussed at a special r.�ooting of tho E:x:ocuti vo Cor.1rni ttoe in Dublin in ,January 1957 nhen it -:ms docid.:Jd to release �n, 500 frori1 the Special Account of tho CoLmission for tho purchase of tho vaccine, which ·,;as nado available 0,t a specially reduced cost by tho Netherlands Govern□ont. This vaccine m.1s used to comploto, as :i:ar as possible, vaccination of anir,mls in tho Upper Austrian and Salzburg area where tho infection vm.s hoaviost and to broaden tho zone of vaccination.

Tho E:x:ocuti vo Coomi ttoc have noted with ouch interest that Y1here reliable vaccine ·;,as properly or systoraatically a.pplied, outbreaks of tho disease arc either prevented or, whon they occur, arc quickly brought unclor control. Vaccination appears to have made a notable contribution in limiting tho spread of tho disease throughout Europe.

Vfoi to to different count,rien by lloubors of the Secretariat

The countrios visited by the Secretariat are onur.10rated in the previous section. in 1956 to tho Neth Special note, however ? should bo erlands, Denoark, Franco and the ran.de of tho vis.its United States of .Auerica.