Published Date: 2025-01-23 03:02:11 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Germany (04): (BB) testing update
Archive Number: 20250123.8721553
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - GERMANhttps://promedmail.org/promed-post/?id=8721553Y (04): (BRANDENBURG) TESTING UPDATE
A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
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Date: Tue 21 Jan 2025
Source: rbb24 [in German, machine trans., edited]
https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/beitrag/2025/01/brandenburg-laesst-impfstoff-gegen-mks-herstellen-friedrich-loef.html
Since the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Brandenburg, there has been great uncertainty in the agricultural sector. A vaccine is now to be produced -- and very soon.
To combat foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Germany is now preparing itself as a precautionary measure by producing a vaccine. This is to be produced in advance in order to be prepared in the event of a possible spread of the animal disease, the Ministry of Agriculture in Potsdam announced.
Brandenburg has activated the vaccination bank against foot-and-mouth disease after consultation with the federal states. According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), this is the prerequisite for the production of the appropriate vaccine for the animals within a week. However, it has not yet been decided whether there will actually be vaccinations.
Vaccination bank stores killed FMD viruses
So far, foot-and-mouth disease has been detected in a herd of buffalo in Honow (Markisch-Oderland). There have been no further cases in other animal populations. However, the examination of samples is ongoing.
The vaccine will be kept in stock as a possible control measure in case the disease spreads further or occurs in other regions of Germany, it said. The federal states will share the costs.
As the FLI explained, the vaccination bank stores concentrated amounts of killed FMD viruses in different variants (serotypes) in deep-frozen storage. Once the vaccination bank is activated, ready-to-use liquid vaccines are produced from these, filled, and delivered to the countries.
Ozdemir: Prepared for all conceivable scenarios with vaccination reserve
"If the vaccine is not used in Germany, it can be given to countries where FMD occurs regularly due to its shelf life," it said. The vaccine has a shelf life of 18 months. FMD is not dangerous for humans.
"The vaccination reserve is like a fire extinguisher in the house. It is reassuring to have it ready to hand, even if you hope you never need it," said Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir (Greens). "It is good that we are prepared for all conceivable scenarios with the vaccination reserve. This strengthens the ability to react in the fight against the epidemic and does not mean that vaccinations will actually be carried out. Vaccinations should be the very last step."
Trade restrictions also apply to vaccination
According to the FLI, there are still trade restrictions for cloven-hoofed animals even after vaccination. "Many third countries do not want to take any risks and do not want imports from countries that vaccinate," said the head of the Institute for Epidemiology at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Carola Sauter-Louis, recently. Therefore, a lot of testing must be done to show that vaccinated animals have not been infected, added Martin Beer, head of the Institute for Virus Diagnostics at the FLI.
If no further infections are found, it will still take a while before Germany is considered disease-free again, said Sauter-Louis. After the last infected animal has been culled, contact and environmental samples must still be taken and evaluated, and then, according to an EU rule, it will take at least 3 months before attempts can be made to achieve "free of FMD" status.
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ProMED
[ProMED thanks the individual that brought the above story to our attention. Reporting in WAHIS (https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/6177?reportId=171556&fromPage=event-dashboard-url) indicates additional testing in the quarantine zone has thus far been negative. Preparing to produce vaccine should it be necessary is a well-thought out strategy especially since it can be donated to other countries if it's not actually needed in Germany. - Mod.JH
ProMED map:
Brandenburg, Germany: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8721553,10517]
