FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN EUROPE SINCE THE LAST SESSION

(e) Veterinary supervision of meat inspection. It is p.ossible, sometimes, to diagnose foot-and-mouth d{sease .. from lesions found at meat inspection which were not obvious during life.· �e

Committee, therefore, directed attention. to tho need for careful examinations by moat i nspectors in abattotrs, which should always be carried out under active vetqr'.Lnary supervision. The results of such examinations may prove valuable also in tracing sources of outbreaks of the disease. (f) Imported meat as a source qf infection for Europe. While absolute ·proof of the introduction of the virus of foot-and-mouth disease in meat or products of animal origin from infected countries is extremely difficult to obtain, there seems to be little doubt from the overwhelming and accumu� lating circumstantial evidence in several countries in Europe that this takes pla·co.: · Tl10 Commission took action to minimize this risk by recommending that FA0 should appoint a veterinary consultant to visit some infected South American countries and to make recommendations. Tho report of the visit was made available to the Commission. It is understood that tho United Kingdom has pr.onibi ted the importation of pig moat from certain South American countries as from 1 February 1961. The report of the joint Commission/OIE meeting held in Brussels in June 1960 also makes recommendations concerning especially, exotic types of the virus. (g) Escape of virus from laboratories. The Committee draws attention .. to the bonsiderable amount of evidence which has accumu]ated pointing to outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease caused by virus which has escaped from lab·oratories in several countries in Europe. While such escape of the classical types of the virus are of much importance, disastrous resu_l ts. .... could follow the escape of an e�otic type if it were handled in a laboratory.

It is essential that tho utmost care be exercised to prevent ·escapes of any virus from any laboratory and the Executive Committee recommends that the attention of the research group. of the Commission's Standing Technical

Comipittee be drawn to tho danger and that tl].e group be asked to advise on any measures to minimize the risk.

Supplies of antisera and' vaccinos of the types of virus exotic to Europe At tho Seventh Session, the Research Institute (Animal Virus Diseases),

Pirbright, Surrey, England, undertook to provide antiserum for laboratory work in tho identification of exotic types of foot-and-mouth disease virus to laboratories in Europe. Details of the conditions under which the antisera would be supplied wcro discussed and considered at a small informal meeting in Paris in May 1960, at which representatives of the Commission and of 0IE met the Dir�ctor of the Pirbright Institute. The final agreed condi t ions were published in the· 0IE .Bulletin (Vol. LIII, No. 7-8, p. 1131).

These conditions include the signing of requests by the Directors of Veterinary

Services R�dtbirectors of the requesting laboratories; the sending to the

Pirbright Inst to be type o, itute of tho virus strain which the A or C; and the use of the antisera local tests have only for testing shown virus no.t from outbreaks within the country concerned. · Tho ·· Pirbright Institute undertook also to prepare and stor? supplies of vaccine produced from exotic viruses. A beginning has now been made in this production. Priority has been given to the preparation of Asia I typo vaccine because of the proximity to Europe of disease oaused by this

type. Vaccine against tho S.A. types of the virus will also be prepared and in the fairly near future stocks of inactivated vaccines against all the �xotic virus types will .. be· available.

Availability of vaccines of classical types of the virus for the supply of rnombor countries

Some countries in Europe who do not p�oduce vaccine would extend vacqination in their control policies if vaccine could be procured at low cost. Occasions may also arise when vaccine-producing countries require. more vaccine than they could readily produce. Information has nmv boen . obtained from member countries on suppiies of ·vaccino ·· which could be made· available at low ·cost ·to other member countrios to meet such requirements.

The Executive Committee now r_eports as follows:-·

Amitr.ia

Belgium

Denmark

Netherlands

Italy

Switzerland If invasionsof foot-and-mouth disease continue to be prevented as in recent years, monovalent, bivalent and trivalent vaccin0 can be proparod and supplied at about cost of production, viz.- 4.47, 8.94 and 13.97 Austrian Shillings, respectively per dose or US$ 0.16, 0.32, and 0.50.

At present vaccine cannot be delivered at a reducod price but it is .hoped that new reg1,1l,l;l.tions will alter this position;··· In··the··moantime9 it is very likely that Belgium would assist_ in an emergency. Without any commitment, the price would probably be· 30-35 Belgian francs pe1� tri va:lent dose or USj� O. 60-0. 70.

Tho price of vaccine will be based on the cost of procluction and will .:i,n all probability not exceed the price fixed for.Danish use. Without any commitment, the price for monovalent, bivalent and· triv.alent ¥accine per dose would be about I)K. 2.15, 4.10 and 6.45 respectively, or US$0.31, US$0.62 and US$0.93.

There should. ho available ·some 3,000 litres of each type of vaccine in 1961, representing about 180,000 doses bf trivalent vaccine. The price would be that paid by the Dutch farmers viz.- 1,0 Guilder per trivalent dose, or US$ 0.27.

If vaccine protluced from virus cultivated in kidney tissue is introduced for general use in Italy, it will be possible to supply large quantities fo·r member countries. The price would be that fixed by tho Government for vaccine sold in Italy, viz.- Lit. 150 per ' monovalent and Lit.· 260 per bivalent dose or US$ 0.26 and US$ 0.42.

The price of vaccine varies somewhat from year to year depending on ·the amount produoed. At present .it· .is ·125 ·Swiss francs per litre based on a producti0n of 5,000 litres. The vaccine now producecl i·s bivalent 0 dose is about 3.15 9 A and the price per bi valont Swiss francs or US$ 0.70. If large quantities of vaccine are ordered it will pro'bahly he posRihla to reduce tho price by 20 percent.

Report of the Joint Meeting with the OIE Foot-ancl-Mouth.Disease·Commission on the importation of meat into Europe At the last Session of the Commission it was decided that a joint meeting ·of representatives of the Commi·ssion and of the Permanent OIE Foot-and-Mouth Disease Commission should be held to discuss prevention of the introduction of exotic typo� of tho virus into Europe in meat and products of animal origin and to prepare recommendations for suitable action.· Tho meeting was hold in Brussels in Juno 1960 and an agreed

report was prepared.

This report will not, however, be made public until it has boon accepted by the· Commission at this Session and by OIE at its general Session in May 1961. It was felt, however,·that the subject was of such immediate importance that tho rocommendations should be made known without delay to veterinary services. To this end an agreed note· containing the recommendations was published in tho OIE Bulletin (Vol. LIII, No. 7-8, p. 1137). Implications of tho transference of tho Commission to OIE Following tho reference to this subject made at tho Sov.onth Session of the Commission, it was discussed by the Executive Committee at its last meeting. Tho Secrotariat gave & full account of tho reasons for the establishment of tho Commission in its present form, of the advantages dorivod from its working under the aegis of FAO and of the work accomplished by the Commission, much of ·which had been possible because of the :present constitution of the Commission.

The .meeting agreed unanimously to recommoncl· t0 tho Session that the Commission should continue to work as. at present. The Commission gave some consideration to tho possibility of closer linkage with the OIE concerning advisory vrork .on foot-and-mouth disease aml it was agreed that ·this should bo further discussed at the ession •

. Establishment- of ·

an emorgcmcy fund The EJcecutive Cormni ttee discussed briefly the possibility of establishing an emergency fund which hacl· been raised at,·earlier sessions and was again brought up at the last session. The main object of establishing such a funcl would be to assist member countries wi'th compensation to owners for _ animals.when slaughter was introduced as part'of a cont-rel plan. The

Committee felt that it was .

necessary to have the views of all the member count:i:-ies and decided- tha _ t the subject should be .f'ully discussed at the Eighth Session.

,. Amenclments to the Commission

1 s Constitution

Although the Commission agreecl �t .its Seventh Session that no amendments shoulcl be made to ·tho C onstitution, tho· FAO Council requested that further consideration be given to t.he subject. The Executive Cammi ttee agreecl that there shoulcl be some further discussion at the next session ancl that the FAO Legal Counsel be invited to make further explanation _

s.

Future Activities

The Commission i..vill continue to promoto and encourage national and international action fo.r tho control of foot-and-mouth disease in Europe towards its ultimate eradication.' The object is to arrive at the. position that only sporadic outbreaks occur arid that they are rapidl� eliminp,ted.

National conditions and c±rcwnstances will.always be taken into account in advising on control policies. While _tlrn operation of a true slaughter policy throughout Eu.rope is the final stage of control envisaged in the Commission I s Overall Plan, that position has not yet been rea . ched in many countries,., al though it c·ontinues to bo successfully practise cl in some� ,Encouragement will be given to continue vaccination togqther with slaughter of infected herds in countries in which . this is practised and �o introduc� this plan gf contro� in infected. animal:;:; but also{a:°11 ·animnls o�he s. The sla1:1ghter _ no� on�� y ?f · on-·1nfected premises will be insisted upon. Tho control policy in most of the Commission 1 s Member countries are giving fairly satisfactory results and the Commission will continue to keep them under observation and to suggest intensification or alterations when considered necessary ?r desirable.

Special attention will be given to countries in which special problems exist. The Commission's Member countries· in which control difficulties still exist are Port�gal, Italy and Turkey.

Portugal is under continuous threat of invasion from Spain and more extensive vaccination is desirable.

Although vaccination is practised to a considerable extent in Italy, much wider application of' vaccine is highly desirable as part of tlie control policy. There is already evidence from research work that kidn�y c�l��re virus vaccine can be successfully used il'.l · c·ontrOlling ·:toot�and-mouth disease. The Commission is extremely interested in the research work on ·tho production of effective vaccine by this method and hopes to see its still wider use throughout Italy. Tho position of foot-and-mouth disease in Turkey is important for Eu.rope. Much more· extensive syst'ematic vaccination is essential in Turlcey. While the provision of vaccine at low cost by the Commission's vaccine�_ producing Membe . r countries may assist Turkey to extend vacGination, the position will not be satisf2-ctory until large quantities of vaccine are produced in Turkey and systematic, regular vnocination ·:;i,s .. _ introduced;. To this end tho Commission will tnke /ictive steps-to ensi:.ire that the projected foot-1:mcl-mouth dis.ease institute is established, and that a satisfactory vaccination ��ogram is .inatitrited. In order to ·eraclic�te f'o�t-2.ncl-mouth disee..se from tho whole of Europe, countries which are n' ow. non-members of the Commission play an imporkmt part and tho Commfssion· must, as far as possible, use its influence to ensure that adequate control-measures are being practised by ·.; them. Of these countries }i'rance is all-important because of its geographical position. More satisfactory control measures l�ave recently been introduced in France ::i.ml. shnu1d effect better control. It would seem, however, that

the practice of s;ystomatic vaccination of tho whol .

0 cattl.o population in the moro heavily infected Deprutments of Franco. may vory woll. become a .J;>ractical proposition

The control policy in the Nethorlb.nd's is cm excellent example o f

suc

· c

· e/3sful measures for s o improving the foot-nnd-moD_th disease posi ·hon that · outbro . aks are reduced to an absolute minimum and the disease is of li ttlc further economic importance in a country.

The Commission will., however, continue to advise wherever necessary on the· most appropri•c.1.'te measures of c.ontrol in accordance with conditions and nircumstances iri/. a country · and will continµe to point out that, 'in

adclition· to any other measures,

tho strict application of seyere veterinary .�olice measures is an essential part in any control scheme. ·

Tho Commission will continue to associate closely with OIE in

all work on aspects foot-and-mouth of tho disease disease and its and will control. have In frequent discussions on all this connection·it should be mentioned that it has been proposed tha� a joint meeting by OIE and the. European Commission for tlio Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease should take place during tho OIE session in May 1961. At this meeting it i · s planned

th3t the member countries of OIE anrl of the Commission; which are located

in South-East Europe, should discuss foot-ancl-m ·outh disease problems of

mutual interest.

Efforts will be made to extend correlation of research work on footand-mouth disease by inviting representatives of foot-and-mouth _ disease institutes from countries outsicle Europe, to the annual meetings of the research group of the Commission's Standing -Technical . Committee, in which

it. has already been agreed that OIE participates.

The Commission will continue to keep careful watch on tho prevention of tho introduction of foot-and-mouth disease· into Europe froin outside sources and, together with OIE, will act, immediately·, caused by an exotic typo of the virus occur in Europe. should an outbreak

Tho Secretariat will continue to visit Member countries to obtain information and to advise and c onsult on control measures, generally and

particularly.

Visits will also b0 made to non-member countries where deemed advisable and whero tho necessary arrangements can be made in order to discuss control measures.

Discussion

The :report which hacl bee:ia� preViously distributecl was .discussed.