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11 February 2003
Commission proposes improved Directive to control outbreaks of
foot-and-mouth disease
Comments on the Use of Vaccination and Rapid Serological Diagnostic
Tests
Dr James Irvine, FRSE, DSc,FRCPEd, FRCPath, FInst Biol.
Former Member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh FMD Inquiry
An EU press relase of 18th December 2002 (click
here) reports that the European Commission has adopted revised
and improved legislation on EU measures to control outbreaks of
foot-and-mouth disease.
The proposed directive entitled Proposal
for a Council Directive on Community measures for the control of
foot-and-mouth disease and amending Directive 92/46/EEC, is
available in the following formats:
The following comment focuses on the use
of vaccination in the control of outbreaks
which is covered in Section 8
(click here) and Annex
X (click here)
of the proposed directive.
The availability of rapid and reliable on-farm
tests that can detect FMD infection and differentiate between virus-induced
antibodies and vaccination-induced antibodies is central to:
- Efficient control of an FMD outbreak
- Efficient monitoring of an FMD vaccination
programme
- Achieving confidence in restoring “FMD-free
status without vaccination” following an emergency vaccination
programme
The science necessary to achieve all of these
criteria has been available for a number of years, and yet the authorities
seem to only be able to proceed at a snail’s pace.
The cost of substantial investment in pushing
along this technology must surely be a small fraction of the cost
of a further FMD outbreak, the risk of which remains high.
The criteria that would be used as an exit policy
following FMD vaccination would not be an arbitrary number of months
after the last case or after vaccination had ceased or whatever,
but according to when it could be demonstrated that there was no
evidence of residual virus. The O.I.E. has agreed that this could
be done with existing tests on a herd basis.
What is of the essence, when there is a new outbreak,
is speed of detection. That is much more important than the ultimate
validation of tests that can only be achieved by protracted international
negotiation with all its political connotations and hidden agendas.
The level of the technology is already such that its application
in the field to give rapid and useful information must far outweigh
waiting for the current “gold standard tests” to yield
results.
With the use of such tests it is far from clear
why it would be necessary to have veterinary staff carrying out
the vaccination for FMD. Vaccinations are commonplace on all livestock
farms and are carried out by the farm staff. Diagnostic tests can
readily be used to ensure that vaccination has indeed been carried
out and determine the percentage vaccinated. This could readily
be monitored by Veterinary staff and it would be a much more efficient
use of their time and resources. It worked in Uruguay, so why can
it not work here?
The labelling of meat from animals that have been
vaccinated for FMD referred to in the new Directive seems extraordinary,
if it has been demonstrated that the beast was free of virus prior
to slaughter and was slaughtered in a virus-free facility. There
is no requirement for the labelling of meat that has come from animals
vaccinated against a range of other diseases.
Further Reading Recommended by Land-Care
DEFRA (2003). 20-day Farm Standstill Reduced to 6 Days for England
and Wales - DEFRA News Release, 23/01/03.
(Filed 24 January 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
FMD Forum (2003). Response to DEFRA FMD Contingency Plan.
(Filed 23 January 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
DEFRA requests comments on Foot and Mouth Contingency Plan by 28th
February 2003.
(Filed 24 January 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
DEFRA’s proposals for management of future outbreaks of FMD.
(Filed 3 January 2003, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Final Report of the European Parliament Temporary Committee on Foot
and Mouth Disease. Land-Care (2002).
(Filed 18 December 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
DEFRA's Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plan, Version 2.5 (6/11/2002).
(Filed November 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
Update September 2002 on Uruguay 2001 FMD Outbreak and its Subsequent
Control. Information provided by the Uruguay Embassy in London.
(Filed 4 November 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click here
to view).
European Temporary Committee on FMD. Land-Care (2002).
(Filed 8 November 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click here
to view).
Irvine, W. J. (2002). How Vaccination was used for Foot and Mouth
Disease in Uruguay in April 2001 and subsequently.
(Filed October 2002, www.land-care.org.uk,
click
here to view).
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