This presentation was delivered at the CVO FMD Modelling Workshop in Horsens, Denmark on 6th June 2012.

1. FMD in North Africa and West Eurasia:
The Current Threats to Europe
Eoin Ryan
European Commission for the Control of FMD
Food and Agriculture Organisation

2. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

3. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

4. Foot and mouth disease:
Severe economic losses
•Highly contagious
•Difficult to control
•Direct production losses
•Losses due to trading restriction

5. Cattle: milk drop,
salivation, lameness,
fever
FMD in cattle

6. FMD lesions in sheep – usually mild
• Sheep is maintenance host
• Mild clinical disease - “silent shedding”
• Transplacental infection of foetuses – abortion & uterine
reservoir of virus
2 day old lesions, 4 days post-infection

7. Pigs at the index case in UK 2001
Courtesy S. Alexandersen
Pigs: severe disease
•Pig is amplification host
• High level excretion
• High levels of airborne virus exhaled

8. 7 serotypes:
O, A, C, Asia1,
SAT1, 2, 3
No cross-
protection

9. Current FMD status in the European neighborhood
EuFMD: 36 member states of which 27 EU+ 9 others
Three member states: Turkey, Israel, and Bulgaria (Status suspended)
+14 neighboring countries are NOT free of FMD

10. Type O, Type A, Type Asia-1, Type SAT2
3
4
2011
3
2 or 3
Current status: EU27: last outbreaks in 2011
but continued incursions of FMDV to the European neighborhood
Past 6 years (2006-12)
from West Eurasia (Pool 3) and East Africa (Pool 4)
,West-Central Africa (Pool 5)
and from South Asia (Pool2 to parts of the Arabian Gulf)
2007
5?

11. West Eurasia and the south and east Mediterranean:
Events
• Sweeping epidemics of huge intra-regional impact
• Frequency and speed of spread increasing:
• Main source is West Eurasia (Pakistan to Turkey)
– Overspill to middle-east and north Africa (Libya)
– Three regional epidemics in 3 years (2009-11)
• Two (A, O) reached Libya
• One reached Bulgaria (Type O)
• In addition: incursions from sub-Saharan Africa
– African type A in Egypt, continuing circulation since 2006.
– New Egyptian African type A in 2012
– SAT2 (Libya and Egypt, different lineages – 2012)

12. Intermediate, sporadic
EndemicFMD -Free
Free. Virus present in game parks
Free with vaccination
Countries with multiples zones:
FMD-free, free with vaccination or not free
Egypt
SAT 2
WRLFMD
FMD Outbreaks 2012- Feb to now
Libya
SAT 2
Institute for Animal Health-WRLFMD®
Palestine AT
SAT 2
Bahrain
SAT 2
Courtesy Dr Jef Hammond, WRL

13. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

14. Mar/09
Jan/09
TUR: only One Case
close to Iraq/2009
Feb/09
ISR,
+PAT
Jun/09
BAR:
Nov/08
Jan/09
LEB:
Mar/09
Regional pandemic : BAR-08 strain of type A Iran05
Reached Libya (later identified in Egypt )
KUW: Feb/09

15. Regional pandemic (Feb 2010-) :
“ANT-10” strain of FMD type O PanAsia-2
Feb/10
Mar/10
Mar/10
June/1
0
Sept/1
0
Dec/10 July/11
Isr:
Mar/11
Jan/11

16. 0
20406080
100
1 2009 26 2009 1 2010 26 2010 1 2011
wy
All outbreaks Serotype A
Serotype O Untyped
Epidemic curve: Turkey
2009: 181 outbreaks
2010: 1613 outbreaks

17. Jul/09
Jan/11
TUR: index case near
Istanbul, source near
Iraq border.
More cases August
(near Armenia
border)
BAR:
Feb/11
FMD serotype Asia-1: epidemic
2011
Unnamed strain [Genogroup 1]
Dec 2010-
Asia-1: new unnamed strain poorly covered by vaccines; seen first in
2009, epidemic late 2010 and 2011.
Main reservoir Asia-1 is Pakistan but in 1984 and 2000 reached
Greece.

18. 500 km
© Daniel Dalet / d-maps.com
300 mi
FMDV Asia 1: Postulated Spread 2009-2011*
Bahrain
Apr 2009
Bahrain
Feb 2011
Sindh
Dec 2008
to May 2011
Ardahan
Aug 2011
Kerman
Jan 2011
Alborz, Qom
& Tehran
Jan-Feb
2011
Faryab
Feb-Mar
2011
Kabul
Mar 2011
Punjab
Dec 2010
India
2007-2008
* Based on samples and information submitted to the FAO World Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Indian lineage
Sindh-08 lineage
Alternative routes

19. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

20. Initial Detection of SAT2 in Egypt and Libya
• Final workshop of EuFMD/EC Egypt project to support PCP
activities, including diagnostics, held 29/2/12
• Analysis of lab results and epidemiological situation
• SAT2 in Egypt confirmed by sequencing on 6/3/12 in Cairo lab
(AHRI)
• Samples subsequently sent to WRL: SAT2 result confirmed
• Also detected in Egypt by sequencing: exotic type A virus of
African topotype (G-IV strain); confirmed by WRL
• Libya: samples taken from Benghazi (East Libya) in February tested
positive for SAT2
• Type O detected in samples taken near Tripoli

21. EuFMD Rapid Assessment Mission to Egypt
Chris Bartels (EuFMD consultant) and Eoin Ryan (EuFMD Animal Health
Officer), 11-15 March
Objectives:
• undertake a rapid assessment of the outbreak situation
• make preliminary recommendations to the Egyptian authorities on
actions to be taken, particularly those applicable in the immediate
and short term, that could reduce the spread of disease
• collect baseline information to facilitate further FAO technical
support.
83ExCom-Bucharest 12-13 April 2012

22. Biosecurity
District Veterinary Office
• Mixing of clinical FMD cases
• No biosecurity
• No awareness
Data
management
Market closures:
Hard to enforce
Communication

23. Rapid Spread of SAT2 in Egypt
Cattle incidence
March 2012 Cattle incidence
April 2012
Daily total number of
villages reporting
FMD suspect cases
for the first time
between 5/3/12 and
18/4/12
Animal movement controls difficult

24. Origin of Recent FMD Outbreaks in Egypt
• Type O
i. 2006-2009: O/Sharquia/EGY/72 vaccine like
ii. 2007: O-PanAsia-2 from the Middle East
iii. 2009-2012: O-PanAsia-2 probably remained endemic since 2007
• Type A
i. 2006: AFRICA group VII from East Africa
ii. 2009: AFRICA group VII probably remained endemic since 2006
iii. 2012: Africa group IV from East Africa?
iv. 2012: Asia Iran-05 from Middle East?
• SAT2: related to sub-Saharan strains; two lineages
i. SAT2/VII/Alx-12 (2012)
ii. SAT2/VII/Ghb-12 (2012)
Institute for Animal Health Courtesy Dr Jef Hammond, WRL

25. Vaccination in Egypt
• Emergency vaccination started
• Two local vaccine manufacturers
• Monovalent SAT2 using local virus as seed
• Vaccination focused on districts with little or no
reported FMD
• By end of May, approximately 300,000 animals reported
vaccinated

26. SAT2 in Gaza
• April 2012: SAT2 confirmed in samples taken from a
farm in Rafah, on border with Egypt
• Only one farm reported affected; no more since
detected
• Israel had already vaccinated against SAT2 along
border with Egypt & Gaza
• Cattle in Gaza vaccinated against SAT2 during late
April
• Sequencing showed Gaza SAT2 was very closely
related to Egyptian SAT2

27. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

28. FMD outbreaks & epidemic events
Iran &
Turkey:
Asia1
Bulgaria
2010/11: O-
PanAsia-2
Iran & Turkey : Large scale
outbreaks of O-PanAsia-2 & A-Iran-
05, evolution of sublineages
oA-Iran-05 (ARD-07, AFG-07, BAR-08)
oO-PanAsia-2 (YAZ-09, FAR-09, ANT-10,
BAL-09, SAN-09, PUN-10)
Egypt & Gaza
2012: SAT2
Egypt: A and O
Libya 2012:
SAT2

29. FMD outbreaks & epidemic events
Iran:
Asia1
Bulgaria
2010/11: O-
PanAsia-2
Iran & Turkey : Large scale
outbreaks of O-PanAsia-2 & A-Iran-
05, evolution of sublineages
oA-Iran-05 (ARD-07, AFG-07, BAR-08)
oO-PanAsia-2 (YAZ-09, FAR-09, ANT-10,
BAL-09, SAN-09, PUN-10)
• FMD real-time trainings in Turkey, Kenya
• Improved sharing of lab information between national & international
labs, esp. for Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey;  role of WELNET
• delivery of EU emergency vaccine to Iran and Turkey 2010 & 11
• Workshop on data analysis for Turkey and Iran, Ankara 3/2011
 to assist early warning of new threats/epidemics for the region
• Meeting: Role of wild boar in FMD, Berlin 4/2011
• Provision of laboratory training to countries affected by SAT2, April
2012
• Lab training for North/West African countries, May 2012
• Epidemiology training for countries affected by SAT2, June 2012
• Provision of diagnostic kits to 14 countries
y

30. West Eurasia -Progress
Progressive Control Pathway (PCP) supported by:
• FMD Lab Network (WELNET)
• Epidemiology Network
• Roadmap Advisory Group
 countries increasingly use PCP as tool in identification of gaps and
for FMD control
Main problems:
• high volumes of uncontrolled animal movement
• Insufficient government support for enforcement of FMD national
legislation and PCP standards
• limited data/information sharing

31. • Overview
• FMD in West Eurasia
• FMD in North Africa
• Regional responses
• Laboratory capacity

32. Importance of Lab Capacity
• Early detection is essential for effective FMD control
• Rapid confirmation of clinical suspicion enables a rapid
response
• Initial diagnosis: antigen ELISA, PCR, serology, virus
isolation
• Serotyping (antigen ELISA)
• Sequencing – epidemiology, tracing origin of virus
• Vaccine matching – selection of appropriate vaccines
• Use of penside tests

33. Laboratory Requirements
• Personnel
• Management commitment
• Building
• Training
• Equipment
• Reagents
• Proficiency tests/ring trials
• Technical support
• Biosecurity protocols
EuFMD can support

34. Lab capacity assessment
• EuFMD is keen to support FMD capacity building,
particularly in the Balkans
• We need to determine what the capacity of each
country is, and what are the areas where we can
provide support
• Collaborative project with World Reference Lab
(Pirbright) and other partners
• Objective: to strengthen lab capacity in the Balkans

35. Summary
• Two major FMD epidemics pose a serious threat to
Europe
 Asia1 (Turkey, Iran)
 SAT2 (Egypt, Libya)
• New incursions can spread rapidly through West Eurasia
• Laboratory capacity is an essential part of FMD
contingency planning and preparedness
• EuFMD can offer assistance with building lab capacity