Published Date: 2016-11-26 13:12:39
Subject: PRO/AH> Foot & mouth disease - Russia (11): (ZB) bovine, susp, RFI
Archive Number: 20161126.4656143

FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - RUSSIA (11): (ZABAYKALSKY) BOVINE, SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org

Date: Fri 25 Nov 2016 6:43 UTC+3
Source: TASS [in Russian, machine trans., edited]
http://tass.ru/proisshestviya/3812357


Cows with clinical signs of a disease, similar to those of foot and mouth disease [FMD], have been identified in 3 private farms in the Transbaikal [Zabaykalsky] Territory, said on Friday [25 Nov 2016] the press service of the regional Rosselkhoznadzor [Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance].

"To confirm the diagnosis, pathological samples taken from diseased animals have been sent to the [reference FMD center] of Rosselkhoznadzor, FGBI "ARRIAH" [Federal Centre for Animal Health] in the city of Vladimir," the statement said.

The sick animals were found in 3 farms of the village Sredneargunsk, Krasnokamensk district. The veterinary services recommended to the governor of Transbaikal Territory [Natalia Zhdanova] to implement quarantine measures in the area. The measures are meant to eliminate the FMD outbreak and prevent its spread.

In recent years, the Transbaikal region has recorded several foci of FMD. Veterinarians believe that the disease is introduced to the region from neighboring China. In March 2013, FMD virus was found in the area of the village Dura Priargunsky, spreading therefrom to the territory of other 3 districts. In late 2013, the outbreak was eradicated and quarantine lifted in all rural settlements in the region but in 2014 and 2015 FMD was recorded again in several localities.

[byline: Ilya Barinov]

--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The location of the affected village Sredneargunsk, in the Far-Eastern province 'Zabaykalsky Krai', adjacent to the Chinese border, can be seen on the map at http://tinyurl.com/h5h697a.

According to Russia's reports to the OIE, 2 FMD virus serotypes have been identified in trans-Baikal during recent years, as follows:
1. Serotype A:
- 2013: March: 4 news outbreaks, September 4 outbreaks, October 1 outbreak; total 9 new outbreaks;
- 2014: January 1, February 1, September 1; total 3 new outbreaks;
- 2015: no new outbreaks of this serotype were recorded during 2015, but the outbreaks of 2014 reportedly continued throughout the year. This strain was genotyped by ARRIAH; subsequently, the Russian report to the OIE included the following epidemiological comments: "According to nucleotide sequencing followed by phylogenetic analysis, the isolate A/Zabajkal'skij/RUS/13 belongs to FMD type A, South East Asia genetic lineage, topotype Asia" (see at 20130318.1592575).

2. Serotype O:
- 2013: 0 new outbreaks;
- 2014: February 1 new outbreak;
- 2015: no new outbreaks of this serotype were recorded, but the outbreak of February 2014 reportedly continued until May 2015.

In contrast to past remote FMD events in Russia, which were generally restricted to regional media, the current suspected case in Zabaykalsky Krai has gained headlines in the Federation's national media (Izvestia, TASS). This is, most likely, in the aftermath of the recent widely-published FMD (serotype Asia 1) outbreak in a dairy operation in Vladimir Oblast, which was accompanied by a huge recall of dairy products and received countrywide attention in the media and in social networks. The genotyping results of the Vladimir event, which reportedly resolved on 19 Nov 2016, have not yet been published.

Confirmation or otherwise of the suspected cases in Transbaikal, and -- in case affirmative -- serotyping and genotyping results of the pathogen, are anticipated. - Mod.AS

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/56780.]