Appendix 13
76TH SESSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PROGRESS REPORT: Strengthening Foot-and-Mouth Disease prevention and emergency response capacity in the Trans-Caucasian countries (MTF/INT/003/EEC) 1.
Direct beneficiary countries: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
2.
Project start date: June 2007 and scheduled end date: June 2009.
3.
Funding agency and agreed financial support: EC, 2.74 million USD.
4.
Reporting period: Dec 2007 – May 2008.
5.
International and national professional staff assigned: • Carsten J. Pötzsch, EUFMD International Consultant, Regional Project Technical Officer; • Tamilla Aliyeva, National consultant (NC) Azerbaijan; • Satenik Kharatyan, National consultant Armenia; • Zurab Rukhadze, National consultant Georgia; • Anne Mayer-Scholl, International consultant for FMD diagnostics.
6.
Summarize FMD situation in the reporting period, and expected change in risk over next 1-3 months • No outbreaks or suspicious cases have been reported, no rumors of FMD received; • No samples have been submitted to labs for FMD investigation; • The risk of FMD introduction and spread in the reporting period has increased in spring compared to winter as cattle and small ruminants are currently on local pastures or start moving to summer pastures. FMD vaccination has been carried out in April/May and immunity of the cattle populations is building up; • In the next 1-3 month immunity of older cattle is expected to be stable while protection of younger animals will decrease over time. The risk of infection and disease for young cattle will be increased on summer pastures where animals from different sources are mixing and re-vaccination is difficult to perform. The Georgian cattle population is at higher risk of infection and spread of FMD as it has not been vaccinated with a quality vaccine since autumn 2006, and vaccine strain A Ir 05/ Turkey 06 has never been applied.
7.
Recall immediate objectives and summarize progress of activities for report period, attaching operation/work plan.
Immediate objectives: I Institutionalize Effective and Sustainable Capability for FMD Control; II Establish national early warning system with effective FMD emergency management plans; III National reference laboratories operate to a performance level that will enable early confirmation of FMD and capacity to monitor the vaccination programmes; Progress of activities for report period: A) Regional database: provisional agreement to develop database together with the FLI Wusterhausen, preparation of a letter of agreement; proposed start: Sept/Oct. 2008, see attached concept note
76th Comité Exécutif de la Commission Européenne de Lutte contre la Fièvre Aphteuse
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