Conclusions 1. there is a high risk of Asia-1 spread in the autumn/winter in Turkey, and possibly in the wider region, and risks for South-East Europe associated with the current intense FMD type A epidemic in Turkey; 2. The Turkish authorities and particularly the SAP Institute are strongly encouraged to intensify efforts to prevent spread of asia-1 from the eastern Borders, and to progress rapidly with efforts to evaluate the new Asia-1 vaccine in potency tests and in field effectiveness studies; 3. There remains a high urgency to conduct a challenge test for Asia-1 Shamir against the newly circulating Asia-1 lineage; 4. Further vaccine effectiveness studies in the field should be supported, including against type A and through use of the new Asia-1 vaccine in Turkey; 5. Greater effort is needed to establish a functional early warning system for FMDV covering the four most significant countries in West Eurasia, and EuFMD with Turkey are encouraged to take the lead to establish the system based on the model identified at the Ankara workshop (Iran/Turkey/EuFMD) in March; 6. The Committee should consider how it intends to review EuFMD/EC projects which will come to conclusion in 2012/early 2013; 7. In this situation the export of sheep from Georgia through the Black Sea to Mediterranean countries presents some potential risk; EuFMD should consider a project mission to the export facilities [undertaken in November 2011 –port of Poti] .
3.
South & East Mediterranean The Secretary updated the Executive on the recent FMD events and the status of activities relating to countries in the region. Egypt: the package of assistance (in total 150,000 USD) to support Egypt over a one –year period to progress through PCP Stage 1 (monitoring FMD circulation and developing a revised control program) had been interrupted by political events, and field activities (sero-surveillance ) affected. Laboratory capacity building had proceeded but samples had not been submitted by Egypt to the WRL in 2011 – there had been intense EuFMD consultant effort to make progress given that type A FMD identified by Dr Van Maanen during his April missions. The pressures upon the country to relax importation remained high and the country must be considered a major risk for virus circulation and possible exotic FMDV incursions. [Following the Executive, the Secretary visited Egypt and agreements made with the Chief Veterinary Officer to complete both field sampling and sero-surveillance by end of 2011 and the project by February 2012). Syria: no EuFMD direct involvement since the last Roadmap meeting in Istanbul. The support provided for surveillance in 2008-9 had been only partially successful as the Government had not openly reported the results of the agreed sero-monitoring, and the project suspended. Provision of diagnostic kits to Syria might assist the authorities to confirm FMDV (and to respond) but doubt exist as to whether the results would be reported. The current civil situation and pressures upon state administration (and sanctions or financial transaction problems) are known to affect disease control measures in Syria and this country is therefore likely to assume greater importance –and risk for the
82nd Executive Committee of the EuFMD, Madrid, Spain, 17-18 October 2011
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