Experience of FMD control in Thailand: the continual attempts and foresight

Fig. 2 FMD-free zone establishment in Thailand, livestock region 2 in the eastern part of Thailand

Source: Department of Livestock Development

Table I Progressive Control Pathway (PCP) stages and Department of Livestock Development (DLD) attempts for foot and mouth disease (FMD) control

Stage PCP requirement Examples of DLD attempt

0 to 1 Comprehensive study of FMD epidemiology planned Set up and run the passive surveillance (reporting system and outbreak investigation)

1 to 2 Risk-based FMD control plan Initiated FMD national control plan, vaccination campaign, active sero-surveillance and animal movement database

2 to 3 Develop aggressive strategy to eliminate FMD Developed national strategic plan to eradicate FMD

3 to 4 No endemic FMD in domestic livestock Established FMD-free zone for livestock region 2 and detected virus circulation in the free zone using ‘freedom from disease’ surveillance. Study on risk assessment of FMD introduction into the free zone. Apply for OIE endorsement for national FMD plan

4 to 5 Apply for official status (OIE): free with vaccination

Free without vaccination Apply for official status (OIE): free without vaccination Apply for official status (OIE): free with vaccination and set up model of the establishment of FMD-free zone in other areas

TBD

New activities to support FMD control in Thailand are surveillance and rapid response teams (SRRTs), Sub-District livestock assistants, revision of animal movement regulations, FMD-free certified farm, traceability (e-movement), NID, and revision of the national FMD plan that has moved from control to eradication. The list of additional studies to strengthen the PCP stages are knowledge attitude and practice study (KAP), hotspot analysis, social network analysis, epidemiological simulation modelling, molecular epidemiology, cost-effectiveness analysis, socioeconomic impact study, market chain and animal movement.

Conclusion

The Department of Livestock Development has imposed policy to progressively control FMD through application of the Progressive Control Pathway. The Department of Livestock Development complies with the 2020 SEACFMD Roadmap as strategy and goal for FMD eradication. As the strategic plan of Thailand, by 2013, the eastern part of Thailand will be recognised as the free with vaccination zone. Regarding the 2020 Roadmap, by 2015, the eastern part of Thailand and Malay Peninsula will be recognised as an FMD-free zone. By 2017, the upper Mekong region, which includes the northern part of Thailand, will be recognised as an FMD-free zone. And, by 2020, all regions in Thailand will be free from FMD together with Southeast Asia and the People’s Republic of China. An effective vaccination programme is essential, along with traceability, a laboratory network, animal movement management, technical strategies in fieldwork, law enforcement, public awareness and communications, public and private collaboration and regional collaboration.

Foot and mouth disease in South-East Asia: current situation and control strategies

R.C. Abila, M.J.N. Gordoncillo & K. Kukreja

OIE Sub-Regional Representation for South-East Asia, c/o Department of Livestock Development, 69/1 Phaya Thai Road, Ratchathewi 10400, Bangkok, Thailand Correspondence: r.abila@oie.int

Summary

South-East Asia is considered to belong to foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus Pool 1 with serotypes A, Asia 1 and O in endemic circulation. Although Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, East Malaysia and, most recently, the Philippines are currently classified as FMD free without vaccination, the disease persists in Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. From 2002 to 2011, a total of 6,472 outbreaks were reported, with two major epizootics observed in 2006 and between late 2010 and early 2011. Serotype O remains the most common in the region, followed by serotype A/Asia, which appears to be steadily increasing in some parts of South-East Asia, particularly in Thailand and Malaysia. Serotype Asia 1 is the least commonly reported of the three circulating FMD viruses, with the last outbreak in China reported in 2009. Frequently observed co-circulation of multiple FMD virus types in various parts of the region is reflective of the complexity of the epidemiology of the disease and the dynamic animal trade in South-East Asia. To maximise utility of limited resources for FMD control in the region, targeting the disease at these sources is a major strategy for the South-East Asia and China FMD Campaign (SEACFMD) as indicated in the SEACFMD Roadmap 2020. With funding support from the AusAID Stop Transboundary Animal Diseases and Zoonoses (STANDZ), resource assistance from the EU-HPED Vaccine Bank, and guidance from available tools such as the World Organisation for Animal health (OIE) Performance of Veterinary Services (PVS) Pathway and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/OIE Progressive Control Pathway (PCP), SEACFMD continues to vigilantly move its Member Countries forward in FMD control and serve as a model for regional coordination in the control of transboundary animal diseases.

Keywords

FMD virus Pool 1 – FMD serotypes – SEACFMD – South-East Asia and China.

Introduction

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in most parts of South-East and East Asia and is recognised to harbour virus Pool 1 consisting of FMD virus serotypes O, A and Asia 1. Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, East Malaysia and, most recently, the Philippines are currently classified as FMD free without vaccination. The disease, however, persists in Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam (8, 9, 15). Foot and mouth disease exerts severe economic impact on affected countries, particularly on the livelihoods of rural farmers, who are the predominant livestock owners in South-East Asia. Farmers from southern Cambodia, for example, reportedly experienced an average post-FMD loss of between USD 216.32 and USD 370.54 during the 2010 FMD outbreak (20). In Laos, it was estimated that farmers in unvaccinated villages incurred losses of as much as USD 52.4–70.8 per cow or buffalo during FMD outbreaks (16). Although these may appear to be relatively small figures, these losses are a substantial proportion of farmers’ income, who earn an average of USD 200–300 per harvest cycle of about three to four months (2). Moreover, FMD in this endemic region continues to pose a threat to neighbouring regions, particularly countries free from FMD. Serotypes originating from mainland South-East Asia were implicated in the recent incursion of FMD serotypes A and O in previously FMD-free Japan and Korea (14), which resulted in massive culling and impediment to trade in both countries. Korea reported an estimated loss totalling USD 3 billion, including

USD 1.8 billion in compensation (11) while Japan also lost billions of dollars with 290,000 animals destroyed in the 292 outbreaks confirmed (12). Foot and mouth disease has proven difficult to control, given its highly infectious nature, its antigenic complexities, and the dynamic animal movement in the region. In 1994, recognising FMD as a high-priority disease requiring coordinated effort to control, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) created the OIE Sub-Commission for Foot and Mouth Disease in South-East Asia (SEAFMD) (9). Over the years, SEAFMD has grown to include all ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and were subsequently joined by the People’s Republic of China to become what is now known as SEACFMD. The FMD control plan in South-East Asia (SEACFMD campaign) seeks to coordinate animal disease control activities between countries, provide technical advice, ensure coherent regional strategies and enlist political and resource support to achieve its stated objectives. The SEACFMD Campaign, which formally started in 1997, has seen a long history of coordination in the fight against FMD in the region. Phase I of the SEAFMD (South-East Asia FMD Campaign), from 1997 to 2001, saw the establishment of networks with Member Countries and the development of national FMD programmes. Phase II from 2002 to 2005 focused on setting up a progressive zoning approach and advancing the implementation of surveillance, public awareness campaigns, strengthening networks engaging the industry and private sector and involving the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the campaign. Phase 3 (2006–2011), the consolidation phase, brought forth an agreement to a strategy for FMD freedom with vaccination in participating countries by the year 2020. Phase 4, which started in 2011, introduced the revised SEACFMD 2020 roadmap, taking into account lessons learned from previous phases, the needs of new members, scientific developments and the changing socio-economic patterns that will impact on disease control activities, not only for FMD, but for other emerging infectious diseases including zoonoses. SEACFMD is guided by the SEACFMD Roadmap 2020 (19), which indicates a clear, directed strategy towards FMD control in the region and focuses on: − decreasing the incidence and prevalence of FMD by targeted activities in endemic countries combating FMD at source and along the risk movement pathways at critical control points; − progressive zoning approach; and − protection of currently FMD-free zones through quarantine and movement management at zone or country borders (SEACFMD Campaign, 2011). Gleeson (9) provided a review of the status of FMD in South-East Asia, covering the period from 1996 to 2001. To provide an updated overview of the present FMD situation in the region covering the ten years that followed (2002–2011), annual reports from Member Countries were reviewed along with those data from OIE WAHID, SEACFMD database and ASEAN Regional Animal Health Information System (ARAHIS) (www.arahis.oie.int/). Laboratory data from the FMD Regional Reference Laboratory (RRL) in Pakchong Thailand and the World Reference Laboratory for FMD (WRLFMD) were also utilised. Select scientific publications relevant to FMD in the region were also reviewed and integrated. Extracts from endorsed recommendations from the OIE Sub-Commission meetings, consultation papers, strategic planning sessions and sections from the SEACFMD Roadmap 2020 were utilised to present a concise summary of the SEACFMD control initiatives and plans for the region.

FMD status in South-East Asia (2002–2011)

The Philippines was officially declared FMD free without vaccination in 2011, and, in addition to Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore, became the fourth country to achieve FMD freedom in the region. The disease, however, remained endemic in seven of the 11 SEACFMD Member Countries (Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam), where outbreaks were reported every year for the last ten years (2002–2011). A total of 6,472 outbreaks were reported in the region (Table I). Reflective of the progressive development and accessibility of laboratory technology over the years and the variable strengths of Veterinary Services in each country, the available serotyping and phylogenetic data vary throughout the region. Overall, serotyping was done in 46.9% of the reported outbreaks, revealing that, as in the past, O (Table II), A (Table III) and Asia 1 were the only three virus serotypes present in the region. This also indicates that these types continue to co-circulate in South-East Asia and no new serotype has thus far intruded. Type O continues to predominate and comprises 82.7% of the typed FMD outbreaks (n = 3,033) followed by type A (15.7%). Asia 1 is the least commonly detected among the three serotypes (1.7%)

Table I FMD outbreaks in SEACFMD Member Countries, by year and by serotype

Year A Asia1 O Unknown Total

2002 58 76 232 366 2003 124 125 391 640 2004 75 84 354 513 2005 60 15 82 172 329 2006 59 17 1,445 278 1,799 2007 6 8 135 74 223 2008 19 3 223 111 356 2009 42 8 124 207 381 2010 6 184 458 648 2011 26 29 1,162 1,218 Total 475 51 2,507 3,439 6,472

Data from People’s Republic of China start from 2005

Table II Identified serotype O outbreaks in South-East Asia and China, 2002–2011

Country 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Total Cambodia 3 13 16 China 18 7 25 Laos 10 45 12 1 1 3 8 5 85 Malaysia 1 22 28 28 96 69 125 12 7 2 390 Myanmar 12 1 12 6 43 14 6 12 3 2 111 Thailand 47 57 26 38 4 20 23 17 20 12 264 Vietnam 6 6 9 1,298 29 61 78 123 6 1,616 Total 76 125 84 82 1,445 135 223 124 184 29 2,507

Data from People’s Republic of China start from 2005

Table III Identified serotype A outbreaks in South-East Asia and China, 2002–2011

Country 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Total China 7 2 9 Laos 1 10 1 12 Malaysia 3 4 6 1 2 2 4 22 Myanmar 1 2 3 Thailand 58 120 55 19 31 5 16 9 2 21 336 Vietnam 16 35 17 24 1 93 Total 58 124 75 60 59 6 19 42 6 26 475

Data from People’s Republic of China start from 2005