This document compares different surveillance approaches that could be used to demonstrate freedom from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) after an outbreak. Epidemiological modeling was used to simulate FMD outbreaks in Australia with and without emergency vaccination. Traditional post-outbreak surveillance based on serological testing was compared to alternative approaches using non-invasive sampling methods like oral swabs and bulk milk testing, along with real-time PCR testing. The results showed the alternative approaches could complete surveillance faster and at lower cost, especially for larger outbreaks, without reducing effectiveness. Alternative FMD surveillance methods have potential to make post-outbreak testing more efficient.

1. 1EuFMD | Open Session special edition | #OS20se
G. Garner, W. Vosloo, S. Tapsuwan, R. Bradhurst, A. Seitzinger,
A. Breed and T. Capon
Australia
Comparing surveillance approaches for
regaining free status after an FMD
outbreak

2. 2
Introduction
 Following an FMD eradication program, surveillance will be required
to demonstrate that the program has been successful.
 OIE provides guidelines including waiting periods and appropriate
surveillance to support regaining FMD-free status
 Serological surveillance: recommended method for demonstrating
freedom but resource intensive and expensive.
 New technologies such as
o real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) tests and
o sampling techniques such as bulk milk testing (BMT) of dairy cattle, oral swabs,
and saliva collection with rope tethers in piggeries
could enable surveillance to be done more efficiently.

3. 3
Approach
 Epidemiological modelling was used to simulate FMD outbreaks in
Australia, with and without emergency vaccination.
 Baseline post-outbreak surveillance approaches for unvaccinated and vaccinated
animals based on the European FMD directive (EU 2003) compared with
alternate approaches (1 unvaccinated, 3 vaccinated) in which the sampling
regime, sampling approaches and/or the diagnostic tests used were varied.
 Compared in terms of:
o resources
o time taken
o cost
o effectiveness (ability of the surveillance regime to correctly identify the infection
status of herds)

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Results
 In the non-vaccination scenarios, the alternative approach:
o took less time to compete and cost less
o greatest benefits seen with larger outbreaks.
 In vaccinated populations, the alternate approaches:
o significantly reduced the numbers of herds sampled, the total number of tests done
and costs of the post-outbreak surveillance.
o no reduction in surveillance effectiveness, with one of the benefits being a reduction
in the number of false positive herds.
Alternate approaches to FMD surveillance based on non-invasive sampling methods and RT-
qPCR tests have potential to enable post-outbreak surveillance to be done more quickly and
less expensively than traditional approaches based on serological surveys.

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8, 10, 15, 17 December 2020
EuFMD / Open Session