Published Date: 2022-05-12 18:49:50 BST
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Israel (06): livestock, control, vaccine efficacy, RFI
Archive Number: 20220512.8703213
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - ISRAEL (06): LIVESTOCK, CONTROL VACCINE EFFICACY, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Wed 11 May 2022
Source: The Observatorial [abridged, edited]
https://observatorial.com/news/health/98852/hundreds-of-animals-have-died-a-widespread-outbreak-of-foot-and-mouth-disease-in-israel/
According to an investigation by the organization "Israel against live shipments", an epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] has been spreading in Israel among farm animals for several months. The disease affected in particular calves from the meat industry (71% of the victims).
All live shipments to Israel originate from countries that are considered "free" of the disease, in which the animals are not vaccinated against it. The disease entered Israel from the Palestinian Authority. "Since the beginning of the outbreak in February [2022], 240 000 unvaccinated calves and lambs (as of the end of April 2022) have arrived (and continue to arrive) in Israel...
The virus strain had not been isolated in Israel before, and a vaccine used by the Ministry of Agriculture's veterinary services does not protect against it. The organization calls for an extension of quarantine times and warns of sanitary and environmental hazards caused by violations of importers' procedures.
The Ministry of Agriculture responded:
"Foot-and-mouth disease is not contagious to humans and is not dangerous for them."
The vaccine is produced according to risk assessments based on available information; herds are vaccinated ahead of the FMD season, to safeguard maximum immunity at the appropriate time. The matching rate of the FMD virus strain which has entered Israel this year [2022], to the vaccine strains, is "borderline", so the protection is incomplete.
Since February [2022], about 60 FMD foci have been recorded, around which traffic restrictions are imposed. The transfer of livestock to and from other farms has been banned. The introduction of animals into quarantine facilities located in areas defined as infected is not allowed."
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[According to a recent (10 May 2022) update of Israel's Veterinary Services/Ministry of Agriculture, the accumulated number of livestock holdings declared infected by FMD since the start of the event (1 Feb 2022), is 62.
On Wed 11 May 2022, 2 new outbreaks were reported from dairy farms and one (suspected) from a dairy sheep farm. Most of the outbreaks, including the 3 new ones, are located in northern districts.
An interactive map, updated on 10 May 2022, presenting the respective locations with retrievable epidemiological data (English), is available at https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=32.194732446548116%2C35.546179811222245&z=10&mid=1tDpyCBmlUSF1t-wfPa7K9sFqkSbBIm6y.
Israel's follow-up report no 8 on FMD to OIE, dated 10 May 2022, is available at https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/oie-10-05-22/he/animals_health_mouth_and_paws_oie-10-05-22.pdf.
According to the World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (WRLFMD) data, the FMD virus strain that has caused the current epizootic in Jordan, the Palestinian Authority (West Bank), and Israel, is FMDV-O PanAsia-2 ANT-10.
More details from Israel on the matching rate of the applied vaccines, the identity of the vaccine strains incorporated, as well as records of morbidity rates in 'timely revaccinated', 'primary vaccinated', 'outdated vaccinated', and 'unvaccinated' cattle holdings, preferably according to their respective husbandry maintenance systems (dairy, breeding beef, fattening), will be helpful.
It will be of mutual and regional benefit if such information becomes available also from Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, which have been experiencing an epizootic caused by the same virus strain while using their own respective vaccine valencies. - Mod.AS
ProMED map:
Israel: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8703213,90]