<p>Published Date: 2016-07-19 14:04:49<br>
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Armenia (03): (GR) bovine, suspected, RFI<br>
Archive Number: 20160719.4354933</p>
<p>FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - ARMENIA(03): (GELARK'UNIK') BOVINE, SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION<br>
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Date: Thu 14 Jul 2016, 13:29<br>
Source: HETQ, Investigative Journalists [edited]<br>
http://hetq.am/eng/news/69141/foot-and-mouth-disease-reported-in-gegharkounik-health-officials-claim-no-such-knowledge.html<br>
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Residents in several communities in Armenia's Gegharkounik [Gelark'unik'] Province say their animals are displaying symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious ailment almost exclusive to cattle, sheep, swine and other cloven-hoofed animals. Veterinary and health officials say they have no such information.<br>
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Humans, who seldom contract the disease, may be carriers, as may rats, dogs, birds, wild animals, and frozen meats. Symptoms of the disease (also known as hoof-and-mouth disease) have been reported in Artanish, Djil, Aghberk, Shorzha, Drakhtik and Tchambarak.<br>
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Aghberk Mayor Vasil Aghasaryan told Hetq that the disease hasn't affected his community. "No, no. There were just 2 animals in the upper neighborhood and they were treated. That was 1 month ago. It's all clear now. You can check if you want. Neighboring communities may have the disease. I don't know."<br>
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Despite Aghasaryan's denials, the mayor from the nearby community of Shorzha says that the disease spread from Aghberk. Shorzha Mayor Souliko Shoushanyan said that the disease reared its head 1 month ago but has since dissipated. "It was rampant 1 month ago. It surfaced in the nearby community. Certain animals were culled and others were treated. The scope of the disease has since decreased. Some animals are still being treated," Shoushanyan told Hetq. Shoushanyan says that around 18 animals currently have the disease in Shorzha and claims that the contagion emanated from Aghberk, located 3 kilometers away.<br>
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Djil Mayor Mikayel Gharibyan said his community hasn't been affected and that only Aghberk and Shorzha were. Artanish Mayor Karen Shoushanyan disagrees, claiming that while his community has been spared, Djil, Drakhtik Aghberk and Shorzha weren't so lucky.<br>
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If the disease is confirmed by laboratory testing, the concern is that the meat from sick animals will find its way to local markets where it will be sold cheaply.<br>
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Armen Avagyan, who heads the "Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service Center", told Hetq that animals had been previously vaccinated and that his organization isn't aware of any foot-and-mouth cases in Gegharkounik.<br>
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[Byline: Grisha Balasanyan]<br>
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Communicated by:<br>
ProMED-mail<br>
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[Gegharkunik (Gelark'unik') Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan and the Shahumyan Region of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.<br>
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Armenia has recently presented its updated FMD situation to the participants of the 7th Annual Roadmap Meeting for FMD control, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 6-8 Apr 2016. The presentation, including details of the recent (Dec 2015-Jan 2016) outbreak caused by FMD virus serotype А, genetic line A/G-VII (a virus which has spread from India into various countries in the Middle East; see 20160119.3948935). Armenia applies, according to the presentation, an extensive vaccination program, using a trivalent vaccine in cattle, composed of A Iran 05 A/G-VII, O PanAsia2 and Asia1 Sidnh 08. It is scheduled to vaccinate the entire cattle population of the country; small ruminants (sheep and goats) are vaccinated in the risk zone. Countrywide vaccination in cattle is applied, reportedly, in spring and autumn; calves (up to 18 months) are vaccinated 3 times during this period. Small ruminants are expected to be vaccinated once a year in the risk areas (near the borders, cattle markets, migration routes).<br>
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For further details, please refer to the Armenian presentation available at http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/eufmd/Roadmap_2016/2-3_Armenia_en.pdf.<br>
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Armenia belongs to the West Eurasia Regional Roadmap group of countries which includes also Afghanistan,, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. This is one of 5 regional projects included in the Progressive Control Pathway for Foot and Mouth Disease (PCP-FMD), developed by FAO to assist and facilitate couAzerbaijanntries where FMD is still endemic to progressively reduce the impact of FMD and the load of FMD virus. The PCP-FMD, has been adopted by FAO as a working tool in the design of FMD country (and some regional) control programs, and following consultation it has become a joint FAO/OIE tool. The PCP-FMD is expected to form the backbone of the Global FAO/OIE Strategy for the Control of FMD. The countries in the West Eurasia Roadmap group belong to FMD virus pool 3 (FMDV serotypes O, A, Asia 1). A world map showing the 5 regional groups and their status on the roadmap is available in slide 39 of the presentation "FMD Progressive Control Pathway (PCP-FMD)" by Gunel Ismayilova, discussed during the recent meeting in Bishkek<br>
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/eufmd/Roadmap_2016/1-0_G-Ismaylova_PCP-refresher-WEA-Roadmap_JM_en.pdf.<br>
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The PCP-FMD is a set of FMD control activity stages that, if implemented, should enable countries to progressively increase the level of FMD control to the point where an application for OIE-endorsement of a national control program vaccination (in an advanced phase of Stage 3) or official freedom from FMD with or without vaccination (end of Stages 4 and 5, respectively) may be successful and the status sustainable.<br>
The stages are:<br>
- Stage 1: focus - "To gain an understanding of the epidemiology of FMD in the country and develop a risk-based approach to reduce the impact of FMD".<br>
- Stage 2: focus -"To implement risk based control measures such that the impact of FMD is reduced in 1 or more livestock sectors and/or in 1 or more zones".<br>
- Stage 3: focus - "Progressive reduction in outbreak incidence followed by elimination of FMDV circulation in domestic animals in at least 1 zone of the country".<br>
- Stage 4: focus - "To maintain 'zero tolerance' of FMD within the country/zone and eventually achieve OIE recognition of 'FMD free with vaccination'".<br>
- Stage 5: focus - "To maintain 'zero incidence' of FMD within the country/zone and eventually achieve OIE recognition of 'FMD free without vaccination'".<br>
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Armenia, as most countries in its group, is still a "Stage 2" country, as shown on the map presented in slide 56 of the presentation of Gunel Ismayilova, referred to above (note that Kazakhstan, a "stage 2" country in 2014, entered in 2015 the OIE pathway for recognition of an FMD-free zone without vaccination).<br>
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For the presentations of the other regional countries and for additional information pertaining to the recent FMD situation and relevant surveillance and control activities in the West Eurasia region, subscribers are referred to http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/commissions/eufmd/commissions/eufmd-home/reports/westeurasia-roadmap/en/.<br>
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Further information from knowledgeable sources on the above report will be appreciated. - Mod.AS<br>
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A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/133.]</p>
