Published Date: 2022-03-12 02:33:24 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH> Foot & mouth disease - Palestinian Auth: (WE, GZ) st O, genotype, spread, control
Archive Number: 20220312.8701947
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: (WEST BANK, GAZA) SEROTYPE O, GENOTYPES, SPREAD, CONTROL
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Date: Fri 11 Mar 2022
Source: Xinhua News Agency [in Arabic, machine trans., abridged, edited]
http://arabic.news.cn/2022-03/11/c_1310508955.htm
The Palestinian Minister of Agriculture, Riyad Al-Atari, announced the closure of livestock markets in the West Bank for a period of one month due to the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
Al-Atari told reporters in Ramallah that the disease has spread widely, and it is a cross-border disease, noting that the measure is preventive, as the focus is on monitoring the movement of animals.
Al-Atari added that his ministry had provided 400 000 vaccine doses in February [2022], as about 70% of sheep and goats and 95% of cows were vaccinated, pointing out that the ministry continues to vaccinate despite the shortage of vaccines globally.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Agriculture recommended the necessity of stopping livestock markets to prevent mixing of animals and transmission of infection, stressing that matters are under control, as there is a crisis management team in order to mitigate losses.
Al-Atari explained that the disease is not transmitted to humans and there is no danger in eating infected sheep products, and it is expected that its spread will decrease after taking various measures to limit its transmission.
He pointed out that the ministry has sent 10 000 vaccine doses to the Gaza Strip in order to protect livestock, pointing out that there is a protocol for imported livestock to remain quarantined for a specific period in agreement with importers, expecting that the disease will begin to decline in the middle of April [2022].
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ProMED-MENA
[The FMDV serotype O that has been causing the above described epizootic in the West Bank district of the Palestinian Authority (P.A.) since 12 Dec 2021, has been genotyped as FMDV O, topotype ME-SA, lineage PanAsia 2, sublineage ANT-10. A similar strain has been circulating in Jordan (starting early November 2021). Their similarity has been demonstrated by their identical sequencing results which have become available on the Jordan report section in the website of the world reference laboratory for FMD, Pirbright, at https://www.wrlfmd.org/sites/world/files/quick_media/WRLMEG-2021-00020-PAT-GTR-O-O_001.pdf.
The genotyping results of (one) sample from the West Bank are available in a separate P.A.T. report, at https://www.wrlfmd.org/sites/world/files/quick_media/WRLMEG-2021-00022-JOR-GTR-O-O_001.pdf.
The said report includes also the genotyping results of a sample collected in a separate district of the P.A., namely the Gaza strip. The event there was reported to the OIE by the P.A. on 24 Dec 2021 (Archive number 20211224.8700454). Its details, as presented on the WRLFMD are:
Virus sample name: 437694-0257/PAT/2021;
Sender reference: Gaza_437694-0257;
Location of origin: Northern part of the Gaza Strip;
Date of collection: 12/2021;
Host species: cattle.
Genotyping results: FMDV O, topotype EA-3. This strain was found closely related to Egyptian strains (see the table titled "Most Closely Related Sequences" and the dendogram). Notably, the same topotype was reported from Gaza in February 2019 (Archive number 20190216.6320472).
FMD has been reported from neighboring Israel since early February 2022. So far, 3 villages have been reportedly affected. The infected animals include dairy cattle, fattening calves and sheep. Their vaccination status is yet to be clarified. The virus was sequenced and genotyped by the Kimron Veterinary Institute as FMDV-O, PanAsia 2, ANT-10.
In summary, currently FMDV-O PanAsia-2 ANT-10 is circulating in Jordan, the West Bank (P.A.) and Israel while FMD-O EA-3 (an East African strain) has been circulating in the Gaza strip (P.A.). An update of the situation there will be useful.
Vaccine matching results for both strains are anticipated. - Mod.AS
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Palestinian Authority: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8701947,92]
