Meeting of the Executive Committee of the European Commission for the Control of FMD (EuFMD) - 1959

7 .Amrn.AL RCPORT OF TM EXECUTIV� COI.ITUTT�E ON THE :�CTIVITIES OF THE Cff.:U.iISSION The following roport was prosonted and vms agrood� Tho E.x:ocutivo Connittoo not in Vionna, Austria, on 22 - 24 S01)tor:1b0r 1959.

In adc1ition to tho menbors of· tho Cor,1r,1ittoo thor'-' wero prosont, during part of tho Dooting:-· Dr. R.K. Stariko, Acting Director-Genoral of Veterinary Services, Federal Ropublic of Gorwany; Dr. E. Fritschi, Director, Federal Veterinary Offico� Switzerland; Dr. Henry Oborfold, Chief, Votorinary Sorvicos and Dr. T. Kobusiewicz, Chief, Foot-and.-1huth J)isonoc Institute, Poland.

All the above woro invited to the nooting by tho Diroctor-Goneral, FAO, with J3y special invitation of tho the agreonent of tho G0vornmont of Austria.

GovornDent of Austria 9 Professor I. Paschef, Diroctor of Veterinary Servi cos and Dr. Scnordjie,v 9 Diroctor 9 Virus Rosearch Institute 9 Bulgaria also attended during part of tho nooting.

Tho Secretariat of tho Cor.unission roportecl on tho recent work carried out and decisions wore taken on future activities.

Thero was also a general discussion on tho foot-and-□outh disease position in countries in Europa from both national and international aspects.

Standing Technical C0Ll0ittoo In accordance with tho decision taken at tho Sixth Session of tho Cor,mission 9 tho research oeubors of tho Standing Technical Cor.1r.1ittoo uot at the Virus Research Instituto, Lindholl:1, Denr.1c1rk on 7 - 9 July 1959.

Tho Chaii'nan and Socretary-Gonoral of tho OIE Cor:1nission on Foot-ancl-I<louth Disease weru also prosont.

Laboratory G.nd rosoaTch problons w0re discussed.

A report of this uooting is includ6d in tho report of tho Standing Technical Con□ittee.

Notes on Visits raado during tho Year Since tho Sixth Session monbors of tho Secretariat have □ado visits to sovoral veterinary authorities and instit�tes in different countr{os to obtain recent information 011 tho fuot-and�uouth disonso situation and to discuss control and rosoo.rch· problor.rn.

Visi.t to Norvmy Because of its rare occurronco, foot-and-mouth �isoase doos not present a serious problem in Norway..

Souo of tho outbroaks, ho1,vover 9 are of con­ siderablo intorest from an epizuoti)lLJgical point of viow.

Tho first uutbroak occurred in 1926 and was cL,al t with 9 drastically 9 by 1J urning duvm tho infected farm.

Since then, tho policy in Norway has boen stanping-out together with tho strict application of votorinary control measuros1 vaccination has never boon practised.

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The Norwegian veterinary authorities are strongly of opinion that air­ borne transmission of the virus has accounted for several of the outbreaks of the disease in Norway.

Outbreaks have occurred only when foot-andmouth disease has been prevalent in the northern part of Denmark and always in the districts bordering the Oslo Fjord and along the eastern coastline down to the southern tip of the country.

The veterinary authorities in Sweden and Denmark also hold similar views on air-borne transmission of the virus� the disease occurs in the Danish islands when it is present in northern Germany and outbreaks are found in Sweden when eastern Denmark is infected.

This hypothesis of air-borne transmission of the virus in windy areas, divided by the sea, is supported by the results of laboratory experiments carried out in Denmark by the United States Department· of Agriculture in collaboration with the Danish Virus Research Institute.

An interesting experience in Norway concerned the occurrence of primary outbreaks, on ten farms situated along the railway line between southern Norway and Oslo, associated with the transport of imported in­ fected pigs.

Each of the infected farms was within a hundred yards of the railway line whioh the personnel of each farm had to cross in order to reach the highway.

The disease appeared on each of the farms about a week after the infected pigs had been transported along the line.

This experience is very similar to that reported from Switzerland in 1956 when infected pigs in transit to Italy caused fivB primary outbreaks on farms along the railway line from Basle to Chiasso.

Visit to the Veterinary Institute in Brescia 2 Italy At the meeting of the research members of the Standing Technical Committee, Professor Ubertini gave an account of the production of kidney tissue culture virus in a pilot plant, established at the Veterinary Institute in Brescia, Italy.

Some 300 liters of virus are prepared each week and vaccine prepared from this virus has been shovm, .in many experiments with guinea-pigs, to have satisfactory immunising properties.

It was felt that it was now necessary to oarry out similar types of strictly controlled laboratory experiments with highly susceptible cattle.

The Brescia Institute has no facilities for such experimental work and it was suggested that the possibility of· carrying out agreed tests on such cattle in Denmark should be explored.

Consequently, the Director of the Danish Veterinary Institute for Virus Research and members of the Commission 1 s Secretariat visited Brescia on 26 September 1959.

Agreement was reached on close collaboration betvveen the Institutes in Denmark and Brescia.

The vaccines for testing will be prepared at Brescia and their immunizing properties for cattle will be the subject of experiments at the.Danish Institute.

The experiments will include duration of immunity, challenge being carried out at different intervals following Monovalent vaccine will be used in the the injection of the vaccines.

It was first experiments �nd trivalent vaccine in tho subsequent work. suggested that the· Secretariat of the Commission should take a close interest in the experiments,

9 Visit to Israel The object of the visit to Israel was to study the epizootic there, caused by virus of the Asia I type.

The virus, exotic to Israel, was first recognised in the country in 1958 1 having been introduced, probably, from In all, 12 outbreaks occurred at that time. eastern neighbouring countries.

(In Israel an outbreaf means the presence of foot-and-mouth disease in a farming community, of which the:re are some 950 in the country.) These out-­ breaks were mild in character, the virus showing little tendency to spread.

At the end of 1958, it appeared that the Asia I type of virus was no longer present in Israel.

During 1959 some outbreaks caused "by virus of type "0'' were dealt wi. th, In the middle of October, however, virus of Asia I type was again demon­ strated in outbreaks of the disease in Israel near the Lebanese border.

It is believed that this infection was introduced from Lebanon� virus of Asia I type has been found recently in Lebanon.

Immediately before this outbreak in Israel occurred, some cattle from a community shown later to be infected, were movGd to Tel Aviv and a considerable number of outbroaks caused by virus of Asia I type occurred in the Tel Aviv area, In November a community near Haifa also became infected.

Although the virus now shmved a tendency to spread more than in 1958 9 the veterinary authorities in Israel Cattle which had been vo.ccinated against considered it a "slow" virus. viruses of 0 7 A and C types were found to be fully· susceptible to the Asian type.

Very strict veterinary control measures were enforced, A considerable number of herds, comprising some 500 cattle and some 200 pigs were slaughtered: all movement of livestock into and out of the three infected areas was pro­ hibited: traffic of people and animals into the farm was controlled.

No vaccine for use against virus of Asia I type was available in any country when this epizootic appeared in Israel.

A kidney tissue virus vaccine was immediately produced in Israel on a large scale and tested A field trial with Kimron's egg­ in the field for immunising properties. attenuated virus was carried out on some 10,000 cattle.

The recent epizootic in Israel and the measures taken for its control and eradication are of much interest to Europe.

This is tho first occasion· on which an epizootic of foot-and-roouth disease caused bJ' an exotic type of the virus has bGon studied in detail.

The experience in Israel will have a considerable bearing on methods to be adopted for the control of this type of virus and 9 if tho vacci�ation trials are succossful 9 Israel ·will prol)ably bo in a posi tio:n to c1ssist countries in Europe to control invasion by virus of Asia, I type, should it ever occur in them.

Visit to Turkey The Commission has always taken much intcres.t in the foot-and-mouth disease situation in Turkey and has discussed its epizootiological im­ Because tho disease is enzootic in the portance at several sessions,. country and because of Turkey's geographical position forming a link

10 between Asia and Europe, there is a constant threat of invasion by the disease from eastern Turkey to Greece and Bulgaria.

Tho last invasion was in 1957 during tho serious epizootic in Turkey caused by virus of The spread of the disease in tho invaded countries was arrested type 11 0n, by vaccination and the application of strict veterinary sanitary measures.

The Commiseion has also discussed tho special problem which has arisen from the presence of the exotic virus of Asia I type in tho near eastern Because it countries. 'l�is virus is now showing a tendency to spread. has now been cemonstratcd in Iran, Syria, Israel and Lebanon as well as in some countries further east in Asia, it may very likely also appear in Turkey.

The control of foot-and-mouth disease in Turkey must first depend vety largely on va�cination and, for this purpose, large amounts of vaccine will be reqw.red.

Tho temporary foot-and-mouth disease laboratory at the Etlik Votorintry Institute near Ankara has received a considerable part of the necessary equipment for the purchase of which international funds were allotted lad year. ft is planned to produce natural virus; some 100,000 doses of IBQnovalent vaccine in 1960 and some 500,000 doses in subsequent years.'

Tiese arc very limited amounts for tho huge livestock population in Turkey.

I� is hoped, however,. that large amounts of culture virus will b0 produced in the fairJ.y noar future, to serve as a source for large-scale vaccine prtparation.

Tho adoption of the best possible measures for control of the disease in Turkey, especially in European Turkey is of the greatest irroortance for Europe.

If tho virus of Asia I type invaded Turkey 1 tho tem1orary laboratory will be able to produce some vaccine for its control, If. however, tho infection showed a tendency to spread, muc� diffic�lty would ½e experienced in preventing its soepihg through to Europoan Tur:rny wtth the possible invasion of Grecco and Bulgaria.

Under such circumstances, much morey\Tatcine than could now be produced in Turkey would be reciuired for the control_ of tho infection and at this stage ob­ jection to the use of attenuated virus-vaccine would largeiy have disappeared.

Visit to Greece The new foot-and-mouth disease institute near Athens is now ready to go into production.

It was built for tho production of tongue tissue culture .virus as the rnurce of virus �or vaccine preparation.

At tho present time, however, there is.a scaroity of tongues and it· has been The necessary to begin prcduction of kidn0y tissue culture virus. successful results inQcatc that there i� very good hope that the pre­ paration of· vaccine in Greece can, in the future, be based on virus from this source.

In Greece, the main problem is to control invasion of tho disease from Turkey.

The situation in Greece was saii-isfactory in 1958 and 1959 because of the rola-t:'..vely low incidence of tho ·a.iseaso in Turkey.

The presence of virus of.Asia I tho possibility of �ts entrance into Greek. veterinary au,horities.

They control policy shoulil. bo the keeping

type in tho N:;iar East countries and Turkey is caus�ng much concern to the consider that pr,,rt of the future

by Greece of a z·:mo along tho Turkish

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border under 1,ermanent vaccini:ltion against all the types of tho virus present Thoy in Turkey, including Asia I, if and whon it appears in that country. also realise that vaccination should be oxtonded also to a similar zone in Bulgaria along the Turkish border, For this puri)oso and under tho-so circum­ Good stances, it is obvious that only inactivated vaccine should be used. veterinary relations exist between Greece and Bulgaria, so that such a vaccination plan could be carried out.

Tho Grook authorities have agreed to assist Bulgarii in controliing foot-and-mouth disease and to doliior, at a ra:duced price, any roq_uirod vaccine, During tho visit, it was suggested tha t the Secretary of tho Cormnission and the Director of the Greek Foot­ and�Mouth Disease Institute should, togethor,visit Bulgaria to study the disease and its control on tho spot.

It has boen recommended that, normally� laboratories in Europe ...ould not work ,vith exotic types of tho virus.

Tho Animal Virus Research Ins ti tute 9 Pirbright ( the Vforld Reference Laboratory) is oq_uipped for tho diagnosis of these ty1)es, At this Institute 9 work is procooding on· the. development of vaccines against the Asian and African types of virus.

Visit to Svd tzerland Members of tho Secretariat visited Switzerland in January 1960 and met the Swiss veterinary c.1,uthorities with whom discussions of the work of tho Commission took place.

Visit to France Members of the Secretariat visited Franco, also in January 1960 and discussed the disease l)t>sition in tho country and the procedures now ndo1Jted for its control.

It was learned that most of Franco is now freo · of foot-and-mouth disease and that the number of outbreaks in many depart­ ments is very limited.

The areas mostly involved arc Normandy, Vendee and a central area around Cantal, in each of which the disease has tcnde.d to persist for some years.

A law exists whereby mayors, on the advice' of the veterinary authorities, may decree that slaughter _be carried out.

It is understood that a law is to be enacted whereby cattle. must be vaccinated before being movod 9 under certaiP circumstances.

Some 7,500,000 cattle wore vaccinated in 1959.

Attendance of the Secretariat at International Meetings Foot-and-mouth disease was an item of The XXVIIth Session of 0IE. �:,.o agenda for the 0IE Session huld on 11 - 1 G May '1959. l1he delegation from the U.S.S.R. gave an account of control of the disease by vaccination.

Practically all the vaccine now in use is modified virus produced in rabbits, i.o, lapinized virus� it is believed that the modification of the virus in rabbits is the most practical and most satisfactory method for vaccine production.

The hope was expressed that vaccination, together with the application of strict veterinary measures,will result in bringing foot�and-mouth disease completely under control in the U.S.S.R. within It would appear, howev·er-, that foot-and-mouth disease has a few years. been ��pt u�der good control in the U.S,S.R� for many years.

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The delegation from Canada gavo interesting information on the financial losses to Canada from the small epizootic in 1952, Tho lossos i including direct effects and the interruption of trade in animals and animal products amounto.d -'uo US$ 900,000,000: this- indicates tho enormous economic im­ portance of foot-and-mouth disease, The XVI International Voterinar Association

ress

Congress of tho World Vetcrinar

Foot-and-mouth disease was also on tho agenda of this Congress held in ThGre was a paper on "The Epizootio­ Madrid, Spain, on 21 - 27 May 1959. logical Picture of Foot-and-Mouth Disease" and, by invitation of the· author 1 tho Secretary· ui ti.1u Cv1UJi�j_.J,::...J..v.!.l? VUV.!.11.. J_-'t.,.U .... v .iJ..L V,1...Lv V�V-.J...J....L ...5 U.-'-i..:tVL.. ,... tJ_:_\J.i..LCI �Vllh..... short communications concerning the disease wore presontodg the most im­ portant dealt with the cultivation of tho virus in kidney tissue and vaccines made from such virus as well as the modification of the virus in embryonated eggs, rabbits and mice.

It would appear that such vaccines will shortly be developed to a stage for practical application.

Collaboration with 0IE In accordance with the decision taken at the Sixth Session of the Commission, representatives of tho Commission and of 0IE mot in Paris on 9 May 1959 to consider details of collaboration between tho two organizations.

The subject for discussion concerned collaboration betwetn the European Commission and the 0IE Foot-and-Mouth Ilisease Commission, Thore present · at the meeting were the President of 0IE, the Chairman and Socretary-Genoral of the 0IE Commission, the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and members of tho Secretariat -of the· European Commission with some ot_hor representatives of both organizations.

Following some discussion, in which all-round willingness for collaboration was freely expressed, the respective Secretariats prepared a draft of a suggested agrooment on collaboration: (a)

The European Commission has arranged that members of its· Standing Technical Committee will hold annual laboratory mootings.

To these meetings there will be invited the President and tho Secretary­ General of the 0IE Commission and a small number of laboratory workers on foot-and-mouth disease from any part of the world.

The selection of those laboratory workers will be made jointly by the European Commission and by 0IE, The main objoct of these meetings is the consid,nation of details of specific aspects of laboratory work: hence 9 the meetings Yrill be 110:..J. in ::i.u.'uv1a torio,� -i{Di:i.1.'<:l a s1�0uial t&L:llll.J.y_uu can be demonstrated.

At these meetings, also, suggestions will be made for items for the The reports of these laboratory agenda for the meetings convened by DIE. meetings will bo mado ava{lable also to 0IE.

(b)

Meetings for the consideration of foot-and-mouth disease t0chnical subjects of a more g(meral nature w::.11 be convened by 0IE every two or three years.

The Europe.an Commission for tho Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease will

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be invited to send representatives to these rneetings.

The reports of these meetings will be made available also to the European Commission.

The proposed agreement was accepted by· the Executive Committee at its It will be submitted for meeting in Vienna on 22 - 24 September 1959, approval, at the XXVIIIth OIE Session in May, 1960, POSITION OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN EUROPE Delegations of Member Countries and olJServers gave accounts of the position.

The following are swnmaries of their statements: In Portugal there were a considerable number of outbreaks during 1959.

The disease spread from the eastern part of the country which first became infected from Spain where foot-and-mouth disease is enzootic.

Strict police sanitary measures were adopted in controlling the disease and some vaccination, using vaccine imported from the Netherlands was carried out with satisfactory results.

The country is again free of foot-and-mouth disease.

Virus type A caused the outbreaks, Plans are now being considered for the establishment of a foot-and-mouth disease institute in Portugal.

It was reported by the delegation of Portugal that foot-and-mouth disease continuel':l to be i"Jresent in Spain and that virus types O, A and C cause outbreaks.

In Belgium there were only 51 outbreaks in 1959g it was stated that the disease was less prevalent in 1959 than in any year since 1950, In November 1959, however, a small epizootic occurred in two prbvinces on the Franco-Belgian frontieri the invasion being apparently from France.

Some 350,000 cattle have been vaccinated and no further outbreaks have been reported in the area simce 25 February of this year.

Movement of animals in those provinces was pro­ Typing of virus was carried out from hibited except for those for slaughter� each outbreak _in which suitable material was available.

In all, 16 samples were typed and in each, virus type A was identified.

Since .A,pril 1959 ? only three small outbreaks have occurred in the Nether­ lands. . The disease appeared in February 1960, firstly in an isolated farm some 30 km. from Amsterdam, in young cattle vn1ich had been vaccinated only once.

The second outbreak, also near Amsterdam, was in unvaccinated pigs The third· outbreak ? which occurred a few days later, was on and sheep. premises· some 30-40 km. south of Amsterdam: 7 unvaccinated young cattle were infected.

In each outbreak virus type O was identified, All the animals involved were slaughtered and strict police sanitary measures were imposed, From careful enquiries it seemed highly probable that all three outbreaks were associated with the �scape of virus from the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Institute, Amsterdam, through the Amsterdam abattoir, part of which is reserved for accommodating cattle used in testing vaccines, Precautions are in force for the prevention of leakage of virus from the Institute and the abattoir and stricter measures are now receiving consideration.

Immediately before the - F - 1;.015