COMMUNICATION

Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Other Transboundary Animal Diseases

Recommendations of two regional consultations held in Ludhiana, India (June 2003) and Bangkok, Thailand (July 2003)

As reported in EMPRES Bulletin No. 23, the Global Framework for the Progressive Control of FMD and Other Transboundary Diseases (GF-TADs) is a joint FAO/OIE initiative with the objective of effective prevention and progressive control of transboundary animal diseases worldwide.

Between June and July 2003, two subregional consultations were held, one for South Asia (SA) and the other for Southeast Asia (SEA). For the SA consultation, held from 2 to 5 June in Ludhiana, India, participants were invited from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Invitations for the SEA consultation, held in Bangkok from 28 to 30 July, were extended to Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Both consultations were supported and facilitated by a number of invited resource people from India (Indian Council for Agriculture Research, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Punjab Agricultural University and private industry), Thailand (Chulalongkorn University, National Institute for Animal Health, Department for Livestock Development), Malaysia (Department of Veterinary Services), and the United Kingdom (Veterinary Laboratories Agency). Additional inputs were provided by international agencies including OIE, FAO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The consultations were informed of the contribution of the livestock sector to the national economy, priority farming systems and diseases that constrain trade and food security in the SEA countries through reports presented by country representatives from the subregion. Background information on the key trade-limiting diseases of livestock in the subregion was presented by the invited experts.

Recommendations for the progressive control of key transboundary animal diseases (TADs) were developed through a series of small group discussions.

Recommendations of the Southeast Asia consultation

Rinderpest

A regional initiative for the control of TADs should include:

• maintaining early warning systems at national and regional levels for effective surveillance and diagnostic confirmation;
• ensuring early reaction systems are in place in the event of reintroduction or resurgence;
• the aim for all countries to achieve OIE accreditation of freedom from rinderpest infection by the end of 2007.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)

1. Awareness of the risks of introduction and emergency preparedness need to be strengthened in the region.
2. Active surveillance for PPR should be established in the Bangladesh/India/Myanmar border area to ensure that the disease has not entered Myanmar and to act as an early warning mechanism for possible future introduction.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)

1. Strengthen regional coordination and cooperation.
   
   
• Strengthen the laboratory network, including the World Reference Laboratory and the laboratory in Thailand as the proposed Regional Reference Laboratory (RPL) at Pak Chong, as well as national laboratories.
• Establish an epidemiological network involving regional and national focal points for information analysis and accelerate the development of harmonized information systems for animal health and production.
• Create linkages with neighbouring countries (China, India and Bangladesh).
• Establish mechanisms to integrate all stakeholders (public, private and international agencies) as partners in the funding and delivery of global, regional and national programmes.
• Strengthen communication among countries of the region.
  
  
2. Accelerate a progressive zoning approach for the control and eradication of FMD in Southeast Asia.
   
   
• Provide resources to complete the feasibility process for the establishment of FMD-free zones according to agreed principles for FMD zoning.
• Build regional capacities to deliver animal health services in countries with fewer resources (including laboratory diagnosis, epidemiological analysis, delivery of field activities and vaccine quality control).
• Review policy and implement effective animal movement management to establish and maintain FMD-free zone status.
• Implement practical and harmonized approaches to animal identification.
• Enhance planning and training for emergency preparedness.
• Target a programme of communication and public awareness.

Classical swine fever (CSF)

1. The national governments of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should formulate a policy for the control of CSF in consultation with stakeholders.
   
   
• Produce a model national plan, or plans, for CSF progressive control.
• Integrate such plans with existing FMD control efforts where significant trade opportunities are possible.
  
  
2. Introduce policies and strategies that accord with sound epidemiological data and analysis on the prevalence and incidence of CSF in different farming systems.
• Analyse existing CSF data from laboratories.
  
  
• Conduct a structured survey of veterinary practitioners and farmers.
• Build upon networks established for FMD diagnosis and data management.
• Conduct strategy workshops with all sectors of the swine industry and farmers.
  
  
3. Ensure that the developed policies and control programme are facilitated by regional and international agencies as part of a regional initiative that is congruent with GF-TADs.
   
   
4. The regional initiative established should be supported by the harmonization of diagnostic laboratory analysis and prophylactic control.
   
   
• Involve FAO, OIE and ASEAN to guide strategy development and facilitate data sharing.
• Identify a regional diagnostic laboratory as a reference centre.
  
  
5. The aims of the CSF progressive control initiatives should be promulgated to all stakeholders and supported by economic data to raise awareness in the industry for a long-term commitment.
   
   
• Analyse data and current losses caused by CSF for each country or production system.
• Provide feedback to stakeholders (such as those with commercial interests and village farmers).
  
  
6. Provide extensive training in field laboratory diagnosis together with quality assessment.
   
   
• Hold technical workshops and proficiency trials among national and reference laboratories.
• Develop links with the global network of laboratories involved in CSF diagnosis and research (such as Weybridge, United Kingdom; Hanover, Germany; Ibaraki, Japan, and others).
• Funding agencies should consider the value of establishing an FAO World Reference Laboratory for CSF.
  
  
7. Epidemiological tools employed for FMD should be utilized to the maximum to provide added value by using the ASEAN/SEA-FMD network as a window to harmonize tests and prophylaxis and demonstrate efficacy to drive control and gain stakeholder investment.

Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS)

1. Raise farmers' awareness of the disease by utilizing and improving national government information on HS occurrence and distribution.
   
   
2. The regional initiative to control HS should include:
   
   
• the development and improved availability of a high-quality vaccine that provides long-term immunity, is acceptable to farmers in terms of price and has no negative effects at the site of injection;
• the establishment of a vaccine bank in the event of disease emergency outbreaks;
• the promotion of further study on the epidemiology and economic impact of HS;
• the harmonization of prophylactic measures.
  
  
3. Contribute to regional FMD control initiatives in terms of promoting movement control, serosurveillance and public awareness.

Adopted recommendations of the South Asia consultation Rinderpest

A regional initiative for the control of TADs should include rinderpest, ensuring that:

• early warning systems that involve effective surveillance and diagnostic confirmation are maintained at national and regional levels;
• in the event of reintroduction or resurgence, early reaction systems are in place;
• all countries achieve OIE accreditation of freedom from rinderpest infection by the end of 2007.

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)

1. Any regional initiative for the control of transboundary animal diseases should include PPR.
   
   
2. Thorough epidemiological studies are required for the preparation of regional strategies.
   
   
3. Cross-cutting themes within a regional programme requiring support are:
   
   
• quality assurance of vaccines and diagnostics with harmonization across the region;
• infrastructure and human resource development, including producer awareness;
• enhanced regional early warning and epidemiological understanding through sharing of disease information;
• an understanding of livestock movements and marketing practices to meet management and strategic goals.
  
  
4. Within a regional programme, Bhutan and Sri Lanka should be kept free from infection.
   
   
5. Local availability and production (including laboratory diagnostic reagents) of vaccine should be developed, using harmonized protocols.

Foot-and-mouth disease

1. There is a need to initiate a regional programme for the progressive control of FMD to be implemented within each country within clearly defined and realistic time frames. The ultimate goal would be to have a well-defined zonal approach (freedom with vaccination/freedom without vaccination) to attain the FMD-free status.
2. For implementation of a control programme, there is a need to undertake a detailed epidemiological status survey for an understanding of FMD occurrence in different countries and in the region as a whole. Regional coordination will help define the primary endemic zones and address the priorities for control.
3. In order to generate the required resources, economic impact analysis of the proposed control initiatives at both country and regional levels would be advantageous.
4. Significant logistical difficulties are experienced in managing animal movement, currently unrestricted, within and between the countries in the region. These need to be addressed through regional collaboration including legislation, quarantine measures, border management of animals and animal identification schemes.
5. There is a need to share information about the prevalence, distribution, movement and emergence of the disease along internal and national boundaries, with early warning alerts to all partners.
6. Considering the limited resources and a large FMD-susceptible livestock population in different countries of the region, suitable vaccination strategies need to be identified. For example, monovalent type O vaccination could be used as it is the most prevalent serotype and selective vaccination could be undertaken for of certain species rather than others of less epidemiological significance.
7. An independent vaccine quality assurance agency to ensure uniformity in the quality of vaccine to be used in the control programmes would be an advantage for the region ( as is done in South America through the PAHO/ Panaftosa Center).
8. To ensure authoritative and confirmatory FMD diagnosis in all countries in the region there is a need to establish a regional laboratory for FMD. This should ensure the availability of diagnostic reagents and knowledge to assist in the establishment or strengthening of appropriate laboratories where required; training of regional personnel; detailed characterization of field isolates; molecular epidemiological analysis; selection of suitable candidate vaccine strains for the region; maintenance of a regional repository of antigens; and collaboration with the FAO World Reference Laboratory (Pirbright, United Kingdom). The capabilities already available in India at the Project Directorate on FMD of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) could be utilized for this purpose.
9. The formation of a national commission for FMD control in each country under
   the overall umbrella of a South Asian regional commission for FMD control would be valuable. These national commissions may be under the auspices of APHCA or any other appropriate body agreed by all the member countries within the region.
10. For the successful implementation of FMD control programmes within each of the member countries or within the region as a whole, participation and involvement of all the stakeholders (farmer groups, traders and livestock breeders, milk cooperatives, allied industries and other agencies) are essential from the planning to the various implementation stages.

General sessions to discuss needs for the control of all TADs

A number of other sessions were organized to discuss needs for the control of TADs. The main overriding issues discussed were the requirements for strengthening veterinary services, promoting appropriate legislation for livestock trade, improving diagnostics and reagent availability and specific research needs. These are summarized below.

Strengthening veterinary services

1. Building of capabilities to harmonize the availability of trained personnel, especially for areas with highly productive livestock.
2. The need for extension services to focus on knowledge-based state-of-the-art techniques and tools to generate and promote economically viable farming models supported by appropriate facilities and infrastructure.
3. Delivery of certified standard inputs, genetic material (such as frozen semen and embryos), preventive vaccines, diagnostics, etc. Medicines for treatment to be chargeable, facilitated by a revolving fund at district and local government levels.
4. Country biological regulatory units harmonized for production as per guidelines for good manufacturing practices. Identification of specific production for self-sustaining production.
5. Evaluation of existing veterinary services by an independent agency.
6. The development of centres of excellence to support economically viable operations in the region.
7. The establishment of disease diagnosis laboratories at district level and a referral laboratory at state level.
8. The use of performance indicators to enhance success on goals identified.
9. Extension of the role of community animal health workers beyond the delivery of veterinary care, to become involved in disease reporting, abattoir records and farmer awareness.
10. The need for financial support for human resource development, training and animal health information system compilation and analysis.

Legislative approach to promote trade

1. Harmonize legislation in the region with special reference to vaccination coverage and a certification system to improve animal movement management.
2. Trade within the region should be free as per OIE guidelines where immunization and health certification by an accredited authority/agency are adopted.
3. Harmonize trade requirements following the sanitary and phytosanitary standards of the World Trade Organization and to maintain specific health protocols.
4. Oblige member countries in the region to maintain disease-free zones by ensuring transparent activities and record-keeping.
5. Establish a regional authority to supervise the implementation of the recommendations made to the livestock sector for regulatory purposes and establish mechanisms for such implementation.
6. Establish a methodology for disposing of unproductive and stray animals that may be of public health concern in the region.

Diagnostics and reagent requirements

1. Promote the use of validated protocols following OIE standards in all reference and national laboratories in the region for the selected diseases.
2. Promote the standardization of diagnostic tests, reagents, protocols, testing pro-cedures and interpretation of results for harmonization based on equivalence.
3. Develop a system for proficiency testing and regional accreditation of laboratories performing the priority functions required for a regional GF-TAD initiative.
4. Identify a regional reference laboratory for FMD, PPR and RP that can provide training, reagents, confirmatory diagnosis and network support.
5. Develop a regional approach to sustain the selected reference laboratory (with specific requirements for qualified personnel and a sustainable budget).
6. Obtain country support for the selected reference laboratory location including a blanket import permit for the timely submission of samples and a blanket permit from the animal health department authorities to send the samples to other qualified laboratories.

Research needs

1. Development of improved vaccines for diseases as prioritized by countries in the region in terms of their economic importance:
   
   
• Pilot study on the existing haemorrhagic septicaemia/Myanmar candidate vaccine.
• Antigen and adjuvant combination formulations to stimulate long-term immunity.
• Studies on route of administration to be evaluated for differential efficacies.
• Studies on the appropriateness of bivalent vaccines (e.g. FMD_{[1-3 serotypes]}+HS large-scale pilot study and studies on bivalent vaccines of FMD and PPR for small ruminants).
• Studies on inducing immediate protection vaccine development.
• Use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their potential impact on trade.
• Analysis of PPR isolates and vaccine seeds.
• Development of thermostable PPR and FMD vaccines.
  
  
2. Development of rapid/field pen-side tests for common emerging or re-emerging diseases with reference to molecular tools and techniques.
   
   
• PPR antigen detection.
• FMD serotype antigen detection.
• Non-structural FMD protein (NSP) antibody detection.
• HS confirmation of positive cases and rapid biotyping.
• Improved diagnostics for detecting FMD persistent infection states.
• Molecular-based studies on selected pathogens in the region.
  
  
3. Greater emphasis on epidemiological studies in the region as well as disease forecasting models using new methodologies, including the Geographic Information System (GIS).
   
   
• Mapping of virus topotypes/genotypes using GIS.
• Search for FMD virus serotype C in the region.
  
  
4. Role of certain species in viral transmission and maintenance using current circulating viruses.
   
   
• Role of water buffaloes and wildlife (FMD).
• Role of sheep and goats in PPR including duration of colostral immunity, herd immunity dynamics in populations and approaches to protecting wildlife from PPR infection.
• Active search and surveillance of PPR antigen and antibody occurrence in large ruminants, and how infection may be maintained between epidemics.

Regional cooperation

1. Strengthening of standards of veterinary services of countries in the region is a prerequisite for effective control of TADs.
2. Harmonization of legislation for the purpose of regional trade is desirable to implement uniform control programmes for TADs in the region.
3. Harmonization of diagnostic reagents/tests and standards, for mutual recognition of test results for trade purposes is needed.
4. More joint collaborative work among member countries in the region is required. These should include:
   
   
• exchange visits of scientists and for field work joint operations;
• research on FMD and PPR related to epidemiology, vaccines and diagnosis.