91st SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE EuFMD COMMISSION
91st
THE HAGUE 9-10 MARCH 2016
Findings and Conclusions of the Session of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee, after considering the documents and issues on the Agenda of the 91st Session of the Executive Committee of the EuFMD,
Acknowledges The support of the European Commission for the Phase III of the EuFMD/EC work programme and to emergency actions in the European neighbourhood, the continued support of the Member States for the Secretariat of the Commission, and the interest of international partners to work together under the Global Strategy for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) towards common objectives that will reduce the risk of new FMD epidemics. In relation to the general FMD risk situation 1.
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The recent jumps of infection from South Asia into the Middle-East, and the rapid spread between countries in the south-eastern European neighbourhood should be noted by the member states as a major cause for concern. Laboratory and field studies on the level of protection provided by serotype A antigens in the EU bank and the new A G-VII vaccines are urgently required. The possibility to undertake such studies in the field in Iran or Turkey should be pursued vigorously. The SAP Institute, Turkey, is to be commended for the very quick development of a homologous vaccine to the epidemic type A G-VII strain, and the GDFC for bringing forward the spring campaign to ensure early, national re-vaccination of the national herd, a very major logistical and practical achievement. As the detection of the new strain and the initiation of vaccine development occurred before the international reporting of detection of the new strain, the Executive must remind its member states of the obligation to report epidemiologically significant events to the OIE and, in line with its mandate, also to the EuFMD. The SAP Institute, as leader of the WELNET, together with the WRL and FGI-ARRIAH, had provided valuable information in English and Russian to the FMD laboratory network in the countries of West Eurasia and the Middle-East. WELNET, working with WRL and FGI-ARRIAH, should urgently develop vaccine recommendations for West Eurasia for the upcoming Roadmap Meeting, and in future ensure it follows closely the situation in the Arabian Peninsula which now appears to be an entry point for infection to Turkey/Iran/TransCaucasus. Surveillance to provide confidence in the absence of virus circulation in regions recently affected by FMD in North Africa is required. Support to the design and implementation could be provided under Component 2.3 of the EuFMD/REMESA workplan.
91st Executive Committee of the EuFMD, The Hague, 9-10 March 2016
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