rapid missions update – animal health emergencies october ... · rapid missions update – animal...

To date, the CMC-AH has deployed 71 missions

to 43 countries

Rapid Missions Update – Animal Health Emergencies

The Crisis Management Centre – Animal Health deploys rapid response missions to assist countries experiencing animal health emergencies. Affected countries require support in containing disease outbreaks, as well as preparing for future emergencies. If not dealt with swiftly, diseases affecting animal populations can have a devastating impact on the livelihoods of many populations, in animal productivity, trade and food security.

The CMC-AH, based in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), works with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to provide support for governments experiencing animal disease outbreaks. The Centre deploys mission teams of experts to affected governments, assisting them in assessing epidemiological situations, diagnostics and prevention and control strategies.

From October 2012 – September 2014, the CMC-AH deployed 12 rapid response missions to investigate and assist with new epidemiological situations and outbreaks including, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Rift Valley fever (RVF), rabies, Newcastle disease (ND), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and foot and mouth disease (FMD).

October 2012 to September 2014

• Tracking – daily disease intelligence meetings, inquiries into outbreaks, planning for deployment.

• Deploying – when government requests assistance, deploy team of experts to provide assistance.

• Transition – when needed, follow-up and transition help from emergency assistance to long-term action.

HOw THE CMC-AH wORkS

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Transboundary animal disease

Zoonosis (disease transmissible between animals and humans)

Uganda

Foot and mouth disease (FMD)13-24 July 2014Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, control measures, resource mobilization. Team: response veterinarian, foot and mouth disease field control expert, veterinary epidemiologist.

Angola

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)9-16 October 2012Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, response and control plan strategy. Team: PPR control expert, rapid response veterinarian, emergency operations officer.

Gambia

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)15-19 October 2012Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, review disease control measures, guidance on vaccination programme. Team: disease control expert, CBPP disease expert, emergency operations officer.

Libya

Newcastle disease (ND)13-18 May 2013Objectives: review status of disease, prevention measures, containment and control strategy. Team: poultry industry expert, virologist, operations officer.

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)7-14 April 2014Objectives: prevention and control strategy, epidemiological investigation. Team: infectious disease expert, CBPP expert, epidemiologist and risk assessment expert, operations officer.

Mauritania

Rift Valley fever (RVF)4-9 November 2012Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, national strategy development, assessment of needs. Team: epidemiology/risk assessment expert in conjunction with decentralized officers.

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DPRK

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)3-10 June 2013Objectives: assessment of outbreak and diagnostics capabilities, identify funding needs. Team: field programme officer, senior laboratory expert.

Mongolia

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)21-27 April 2014Objectives: risk assessment, prevention strategy, contingency plan. Team: disease control expert, PPR expert, small ruminant livestock management expert, preparedness and contingency planning expert.

Foot and mouth disease (FMD)4-13 March 2014Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, prevention and control measures. Team: emergency animal disease response expert, epidemiologist and FMD expert, operations officer.

Viet Nam

Rabies5-16 May 2013Objectives: response and control strategy, vaccination. Team: veterinary public health and disease control expert, rabies expert, rabies laboratory specialist, communication specialist.

Qatar

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)22-28 October 2013Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, investigation plan, regional cooperation. Team: livestock officer, food safety and consumer protection officer.

Saudi Arabia

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)14-25 September 2013Objectives: epidemiologic investigation, support country in prevention and control. Team: chief veterinary officer of FAO (CVO), virologist, livestock expert, veterinary disease investigation expert/epidemiologist, coronavirus expert.

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An infected animal is examined.

The Republic of AngolaPeste des petits ruminants (PPR)9 – 16 October 2012Team: PPR control expert, rapid response veterinarian, emergency operations officer.

PPR in Angola was confirmed on 1 October 2012, being the first occurrence of the disease in the Cabinda enclave, located at the extreme north of the country. PPR is a highly contagious disease with a case fatality rate of 80-100 percent. The farm in which the first suspected case of PPR was found witnessed a loss of 86 percent of cattle. Considering the importance of small ruminants in the country, especially for the poorest rural populations, an outbreak of PPR may deprive many of their livelihoods. In light of this, the Government of Angola requested assistance from FAO in assessing the PPR situation in the country and supporting the national effort to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

In response to this request, the CMC-AH deployed a mission to Angola specifically aimed at: • evaluating the epidemiological situation of PPR in the

north; • identifying the risk factors which would be responsible

for spreading the disease;• proposing risk reduction measures; • providing possible improvements on the PPR response

plan already in place; and • assessing the logistical and financial capacity needs of

controlling PPR in Angola.

From 9 – 16 October, the mission team: visited one of the largest live animal markets in Luanda in order to observe the small ruminants; visited the first suspect case farm in the Cabinda enclave; visited the check points in the Cabinda area that border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); and presented its findings to the authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural development and Fisheries of Angola.

The mission team crafted recommendations to be immediately carried out based on the mission findings:1. formulate and implement the national PPR strategy –

the strategy should be applied to the entire country and not only to some provinces;

2. purchase vaccine and equipment necessary for vaccination and sampling;

3. conduct an emergency vaccination campaign in the seven provinces that neighbour the DRC and the Republic of Congo (RC);

4. sample animals all over the country in order to detect the distribution and prevalence of the disease; and

5. disseminate communication materials in both Portuguese and local languages, with an emphasis on the seven bordering provinces of the DRC and the RC, hold awareness meetings in villages at risk and train field veterinarians to teach farmers how to recognize the signs of PPR.

The mission team also provided medium and long-term recommendations aimed at strengthening the legislation on PPR, controlling animal movements, engaging the private sector for disease management and plans for a surveillance programme with risk-based vaccination.

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The mission team observes animals at a local market. Strengthening veterinary equipment in Angola was recommended.

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Rapid Missions UpdateOctober 2012 – September 2014

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The Republic of the GambiaContagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)15 – 19 October 2012Team: disease control expert, CBPP disease expert, emergency operations officer.

On 27 September 2012, an official report was made to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), informing of a CBPP outbreak in the Central River Region (CRR) of the Gambia. The last outbreak of CBPP in the Gambia occurred in 1971, and vaccination against the disease ceased in 1987. As a result of the re-emergence of CBPP in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture requested assistance from FAO, prompting the CMC-AH to send a mission team to the country from 15-19 October 2012.

After conducting investigations in multiple villages and herd sites in the CRR, and attending village meetings with farmers, the mission team found that: • animal movement, searching for grazing grounds and

watering holes, seemed to be responsible for most of the outbreaks in the country – the movements are predictable however, and should be one of the risk factors addressed;

• unless animal movement measures were implemented, CBPP would continue to spread in the Gambia –having a severe impact on the population’s livelihood and food security, as CBPP mortality may surpass 50 percent;

• the Republic of Senegal was at high risk of disease infection due to its proximity and traditional movement patterns of animals – a collaborative regional approach for control of the disease would be most beneficial; and

• CBPP diagnostics and laboratory capacity had declined over the years, which has also affected the speed with which a disease report is raised.

At the debriefing session held on 19 October 2012 with officials from the Gambia’s Ministry of Agriculture, the National Disaster Management Agency, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Vice President, the mission team discussed recommendations and next steps to be implemented by the country. The team suggested that CBPP outbreaks be treated as a national emergency with control measures befitting a crisis of that manner. The vaccine should be provided to farmers at no cost, and the vaccination teams must be properly trained in transport, equipment and cold-chain protection. Furthermore, the team recommended that simple, clear messages for farmers would encourage cooperation on disease control, as would engaging with officials from Senegal to coordinate initiatives to combat CBPP.

The mission team visits affected farmers and observes the disease in the field.

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Farmers describe the impact of CBPP on their herds.

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The Islamic Republic of MauritaniaRift Valley fever (RVF)4 – 9 November 2012Team: epidemiology/risk assessment expert.

A clinically affected animal.

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Mauritania had experienced outbreaks of RVF in the northern desert region of Adrar from 2010-2011. Due to particular climate conditions in 2012, there was a new circulation of RVF virus in the southern provinces of the country in September, a region already known to be suitable for the disease. The Government of Mauritania requested assistance from FAO in assessing the epidemiological situation in the country and drafting a prevention and control plan for RVF. The CMC-AH organized a mission team with support from the Subregional Office for North Africa (SNE) in Tunis, arriving in country on 4 November.

The joint team assessed the situation through field visits and meetings with veterinary officials and decided that this new episode of RVF was not epidemiologically linked to the previous outbreaks in 2010-2011. In other words, the outbreaks of 2012 were considered a resurgence of the virus in areas already infected along the Senegal River. Considering the outcome of the investigation carried out by the team,

recommendations were made to the Ministry of Agriculture of Mauritania regarding the reinforcement of surveillance activities, especially in abattoirs. The team also suggested strengthening the disease control strategy by developing a specific contingency plan on RVF. Considering that RVF is a disease that plagues the region, the mission team recommended that Mauritania take a lead in international coordination of prevention and control measures of RVF.

The Socialist Republic of Viet NamRabies5 – 16 May 2013Team: veterinary public health and disease control expert, rabies expert, rabies laboratory specialist, communication specialist.

Over the last 20 years, over 3 700 human cases of rabies have been reported in Viet Nam. Rabies is a fatal disease in both humans and animals, but it is also preventable. Due to a marked increase in cases in the Northern Provinces, the Government of Viet Nam sent a request to FAO for assistance.

The mission team was deployed to the country from 5-16 May. They travelled to three Northern Provinces; the areas with the most human cases of rabies. The objectives of the mission were to provide support for cooperation and communication between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, identify factors that further disseminate rabies, advise on encouraging responsible pet ownership and assist in obtaining possible funding sources.

Over the course of the mission, the team members met with relevant authorities in the three areas visited, as well as with central government officials. They also visited regional

laboratories and veterinary offices. At short notice, the FAO – Viet Nam office scheduled a two-day rabies workshop attended by important stakeholders in order to further discuss the rabies situation in the country. The field trips and meetings resulted in the mission team providing almost 40 recommendations to the Government of Viet Nam.

Some recommendations included:1. use appropriate communication messages and channels

in order to raise awareness, especially targeting at-risk populations;

2. strengthen rabies surveillance and investigations by linking human and animal health systems;

3. involve local community and regional leaders, encourage responsible dog ownership and conduct a country-wide dog vaccination campaign; and

4. develop a national level advocacy strategy.

The mission team raised the important issue of cooperation among neighbouring countries as a means to reduce the risk of transboundary animal diseases (TADs). Common protocols should be set in place in order to deal with rabies, especially at borders with other countries.


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LibyaNewcastle disease (ND)13 – 18 May 2013Team: poultry industry expert, virologist, operations officer.

On 24 April 2013, the Libyan authorities reported an outbreak of Newcastle disease to OIE. The previous OIE report of ND in Libya was in 1976. The disease is highly contagious and affects chicken, turkey and other bird species. ND leads to a drop in egg production and misshapen eggs. The disease does not affect humans, but its spread in Libya is a critical issue considering that the poultry industry is the most developed industry in the country’s agriculture sector. Libya is almost completely self-sufficient in poultry products, therefore an uncontrolled outbreak of ND would be detrimental to its economy.

The ND outbreak started in the Tripoli area around 24 March, leading the Government of Libya to request assistance from FAO on 17 April. The CMC-AH then fielded a mission to the country from 13-18 May. During the course of this mission, the team met with animal health and animal production officials, visited veterinary laboratories and conducted field investigations in farms and live bird markets. In order to assist the Libyan National Veterinary Service, the mission team also collected samples and sent them to a laboratory for virology and histopathology testing. Specifically, the mission objectives were to: (i) review the outbreak situation in the country; (ii) assist the veterinary services in laboratory diagnosing; (iii) evaluate prevention, vaccination and control measures; (iv) investigate the bio-security arrangements in farms and markets; (v) advise on future prevention plans and measures; and (vi) suggest ways in which the authorities can enhance their poultry surveillance systems.

After the meetings and field visits, the mission team discovered that a national survey on the poultry sector was being conducted in Libya, but had stopped due to the outbreak. The team also noted that there was no control of animal movements inside the country, nor at international borders. There were also no quarantine facilities and minimum bio-security and hygiene standards in place.

Based on these observations, the recommendations of the team were as follows:1. limit the spread of the disease – implement basic

bio-security measures, begin preventative vaccination and stamp out infected poultry;

2. increase awareness and communication on ND – train veterinarians on proper vaccination methods and proper disposal of carcasses, create a communication

strategy aimed at main stakeholders, produce information materials for veterinarians, farmers, markets and slaughterhouses and raise awareness on good bio-security measures;

3. organize the poultry sector – establish a legal framework for the industry, strengthen professional poultry organizations and enhance public-private partnership; and

4. strengthen the capacity of the National Veterinary Service – laboratory capacities should be enhanced, upgrade the bio-security level of laboratories and run capacity-building exercises for veterinarians and laboratories.

Samples collected for ND testing.

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Team members perform necropsies at a poultry farm.

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Democratic People’s Republic of koreaHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)3 – 10 June 2013Team: field programme officer, senior laboratory expert.

A state-owned duck farm located ten kilometres from Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), began observing a decrease in the appetite of ducks, and a decrease of egg production, around 19 April 2013. These symptoms were then followed by duck mortalities. HPAI was suspected, and samples were collected, leading to the confirmation of an HPAI H5N1 outbreak on the farm (the first case of HPAI in DPRK was H7N7 in 2005). As a result of this diagnosis, the Government of the DPRK immediately culled 166 300 ducks, and then requested assistance from FAO on 8 May. The CMC-AH deployed a mission to the DPRK from 3-10 June. The objective of this mission was to assess the outbreak of HPAI H5N1 and look for ways to enhance the national capacity plan for surveillance, prevention, and ultimately, control of the outbreak.

Over the course of the mission, the team visited the duck farm where the disease was initially reported, as well as the national animal disease diagnostics centre and a vaccine producer. In order to further the One Health agenda in the country, the mission team also held a meeting with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) country office.

Since the first case of HPAI was detected in the country, FAO had implemented emergency and preparedness plans in DPRK, providing trainings, overseas study tours and laboratory equipment. However, since those projects were carried out, the mission team found that continued insufficient funding and technical expertise on animal health had lowered the

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country’s capacity to combat animal disease emergencies. The previous projects also neglected to cover field needs, for example, farm-level disease prevention tools. The team recommended that the DPRK join the on-going FAO regional cooperation programme on TADs along with The People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, the Russian Federation and others. This programme is a multilateral cooperation aimed at provisioning vaccines and technical support to its members. In addition to this regional approach in combating HPAI H5N1, the Government of the DPRK was urged to increase its animal disease surveillance capacities by training and provisioning the right equipment and sending it to poultry farms, laboratories and vaccine producers.

The mission team concluded that the risk of spreading the disease to other farms, or vice versa, is low on account of the high bio-security measures that the duck farm employs. However, the re-introduction of H5N1 cannot be excluded due to the migration of wild birds in the autumn and winter months. To combat this risk, the team recommended keeping the ducks in sheds during the wild bird migration seasons. Furthermore, any dead wild birds found in the vicinity of the farm should be collected, observing full bio-security measures, and sent for bird flu testing.

Sample package and label demonstration.

Duck house and exercise field at the farm. Duck burial site.

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The kingdom of Saudi Arabia Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)14 - 25 September 2013Team: chief veterinary officer of FAO (CVO), virologist, livestock expert, veterinary disease investigation expert/epidemiologist, coronavirus expert.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus is a viral respiratory virus that was first reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in 2012, with the first known human case occurring in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in April 2012. Most people infected with MERS-CoV experience fever, cough and respiratory problems, with 30 percent of cases resulting in death. Up until 8 September 2014, there have been 846 laboratory confirmed cases of MERS-CoV, and 331 deaths. At the time of the mission, there were 124 confirmed cases and 57 deaths. A majority of these cases have been reported from the KSA. Countries with cases in or near the Arabian Peninsula include: KSA, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the State of Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman, Jordan, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Yemen, the Lebanese Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Countries with travel-associated cases include: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the French Republic, the Republic of Tunisia, the Republic of Italy, Malaysia, the Republic of the Philippines, the Hellenic Republic (Greece), the Arab Republic of Egypt, the United States of America (USA), the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Considering the severity of the disease, the CVO of FAO addressed a letter, dated 9 May 2013, to the veterinary authorities in several countries in the Middle East region, urging them to assist the public health officials in developing a surveillance plan for MERS-CoV in domestic animals and wildlife. In response to this letter, the Government of the KSA sent a request of assistance to FAO on 7 August 2013. The CMC-AH gathered a team of experts who then left for Riyadh on 14 September. The team consisted of the CVO of FAO (team leader), and experts from FAO Headquarters (HQ), WHO, OIE, the University of Hong Kong, the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (Terramo, Italy) and Ecohealth Alliance (New York, US).

Over the course of the mission, the objectives of the team were to:• assist the investigation of MERS-CoV in humans by

considering possible animal sources of human exposure to the disease;

• aide the veterinary services of KSA in developing a comprehensive surveillance plan for MERS-CoV in animals;

• identify specific laboratory requirements for MERS-CoV testing in animal samples; and

• support the veterinary services in KSA on preparedness and contingency planning, risk mitigation and communication/awareness of MERS-CoV.

Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), along with the mission team members, developed an investigation plan for researching MERS-CoV in animals. For this investigation plan, the team suggested that the MoA:1. allocate sufficient staff and financial resources to

support testing in animals for MERS-CoV, in both central and regional levels;

2. establish a team within the MoA which collaborates with the Ministry of Health (MoH), a unit which actively engages in joint investigations with the MoH; and

3. enhance MERS-CoV surveillance and investigation by strengthening laboratory capacities and epidemiological expertise.

Now, more than a year after the mission to the KSA, there is still no clear answer as to the animal source of MERS-CoV. There is compelling research placing camels as reservoir of the disease, but more research is needed in order to understand from where the virus comes, how it is transmitted to humans, and how humans transmit it to one another.

Camels were considered as a potential source of infection.

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The fear and uncertainty related to MERS-CoV greatly impacts those who travel to KSA for religious pilgrimages.

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The WHO received an official request from the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) of Qatar for assistance in investigating a MERS-CoV patient in the country, a farm owner and a farm worker who had been diagnosed with MERS-CoV but was not demonstrating any clinical symptoms. WHO asked FAO to join the mission, resulting in two officers from the FAO Subregional Office for the Gulf (SNG) being sent to Qatar. These FAO officers joined three WHO officers in Doha from 22-28 October.

The FAO component of the mission team provided technical assistance to the veterinary authorities of Qatar with the

MongoliaFoot and mouth disease (FMD)4 – 13 March 2014Team: emergency animal disease response expert, epidemiologist and FMD expert, operations officer.

Over the last ten years, the eastern provinces of Mongolia have seen multiple incursions of FMD, with frequency of cases increasing over this period, mostly during the spring months. The western provinces of Mongolia had been free of FMD without vaccination since 2002, until an incursion of the disease in 2013. FMD is a highly contagious TAD and affects both domestic and wild animals. An outbreak of FMD has the potential to negatively affect a country’s economy through the decrease of agricultural production, and the decrease in export of animals and animal products. In an effort to control and further prevent the spread of FMD, the Government of Mongolia sent a request for assistance to FAO, prompting the CMC-AH to send a mission team to the country from 4 to 13 March.

Specifically, the tasks of the mission team were to:• assess the epidemiological situation of FMD in

Mongolia;• assist the veterinary authorities of the country in

mitigating the outbreak and enhancing prevention and control measures for FMD in Mongolia;

• provide strategic input on the short, medium and long-term prevention measures for possible future FMD incursion; and

A field quarantine post in Mongolia.

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potential identification of the epidemiological source of MERS-CoV in humans. They also provided support in clarifying mechanisms by which the virus is transmitted between reservoirs and humans. A comprehensive investigation plan in both humans and animals was set up. A surveillance programme was also crafted to help Qatar identify potential sources of animal origin of the disease.

The State of QatarMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)22 – 28 October 2013Team: livestock officer, food safety and consumer protection officer.

• draft an action plan taking into account possible funding sources.

Over the course of the mission, the team met with the country’s CVO, officials from the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture, the Veterinary and Animal Breeding Agency and the State Central Veterinary Laboratory. The team also conducted field visits and spoke with local government veterinarians. The experts concluded that Mongolia should carry out a regular programme of vaccination, amend its policy of modified stamping out, develop procedures for effective disinfection and conduct studies in the epidemiology of FMD.

A better understanding of virus sources and methods of infection will be employed to help people and animals avoid exposure.

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The Islamic Republic of MauritaniaContagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP)7 – 14 April 2014Team: infectious disease expert, CBPP expert, epidemi-ologist and risk assessment expert, operations officer.

CBPP is the only disease in Mauritania that has a subsidized, obligatory vaccination programme by the government. Despite the recent increase in vaccination coverage, and due to the transhumance between the Republic of Mali and Senegal, where disease management measures are different, the country had seen an increase in animal disease in the past few years. Indeed, since 2012, Mauritania has reported four outbreaks in areas affected by transhumance. Given the seeming increase in disease detection, the Ministry of Rural Development requested assistance from FAO. In response, the CMC-AH organized a rapid mission team to assist Mauritania from 7 to 14 April. The general objectives of the mission were to provide support to the veterinary services in evaluating the epidemiological situation of CBPP in the country, and to develop a national strategy for the prevention and mitigation of the disease.

During the mission, the team attended meetings in Nouakchott with officials from the Department of Livestock and the National Research Centre of Veterinarians. In the field, the team met with breeders affected by the disease and were also able to see the mitigation measures taken by officials to limit the economic impact of the disease. However, due to a lack of information, the team was not able to specify the actual epidemiologic situation of CBPP in the country. With the few data available, the mission team was able to discern two possible different epidemiological scenarios which explain the situation in Mauritania, either:1. the disease is controlled through annual vaccination

campaigns, with sporadic outbreaks from time to time

The mission team met with breeders who were affected by the disease.

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in migratory herds, those which are beyond vaccination control; or

2. the disease is endemic despite vaccination campaigns.

The mission team believed that there are several factors which can explain the latter scenario, for example the use of low quality vaccines, the reluctance of farmers to report the disease and the uncontrolled use of antibiotics which masks the clinical expression of CBPP. In either case, the mission team recommended that the Government strengthen its surveillance of the disease, in order to determine its prevalence and possible risk areas. The country should also revise its vaccination strategy on the basis of epidemiological data. The team also suggested that the Government implement public awareness campaigns on the responsible and correct use of antibiotics, for example, disseminating the message that vaccination against CBPP is more cost effective than using antibiotics against the disease.

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MongoliaPeste des petits ruminants (PPR)21 – 27 April 2014Team: disease control expert, PPR expert, small ruminant livestock management expert, preparedness and contingency planning expert.

PPR has never been diagnosed in Mongolia, however its close neighbour, China, has seen around 150 outbreaks since December 2013. The risk of incursion of PPR into Mongolia from China is a reality, which prompted the Government to request prevention and preparedness assistance from FAO on 21 February. The CMC-AH deployed a mission team to Mongolia from 21 to 27 April in an effort to help government officials assess the potential risk of incursion, as well as assess the country’s preparedness plan in the event of an outbreak of PPR.

Considering the preventative nature of this mission, the objectives were to:• define the possible risk areas for an incursion of PPR

into Mongolia; • advise the Government on prevention and control plans

in case of a possible outbreak; and• assist in the development of a contingency plan for PPR.

The mission team met with the CVO of Mongolia and other government veterinarians, as well as with the Border Inspection Department, the State Central Veterinary Laboratory, provincial laboratories and inspection departments, local governors and finally with herder households. The team concluded that there is no high risk pathway for incursion of PPR, however the mission’s limited geographic coverage cannot rule out all possible pathways. The border is well fenced and monitored, and there is low contact between flocks and wild animals.

Healthy small ruminants grazing in a field.

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There have been incursions of FMD in the past years, but since PPR requires direct contact for transmission, the evidence suggests that direct contact with animals of foreign origin does not occur frequently. Given the situation in China however, the mission team counselled that the risk of PPR incursion could not be neglected.

Adequate preparedness and surveillance recommendations were given by team experts to officials in Mongolia. First, a surveillance programme focused on syndromes of PPR must be put into place. Then, government officials should carry out PPR training and awareness-raising activities for private and public veterinarians, border inspection officer and herders. In the event of a possible PPR incursion, arrangements should be made ahead of time with vaccine manufacturers for gaining access to PPR vaccine, as well as ties with laboratories for PPR diagnosing and sample submission. Lastly, the team recommended that a contingency plan be drafted for PPR, complete with relevant animal health legislation and a regional approach to enhancing small ruminant health.

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The Republic of UgandaFoot and mouth disease (FMD)13 – 24 July 2014Team: response veterinarian, foot and mouth disease field control expert, veterinary epidemiologist.

The Government of Uganda first reported an outbreak of FMD in 1953. Over the last decade, outbreaks were limited mostly to the Southern part of the country, to about ten per year. From May – June 2014, reports of FMD outbreaks were recorded in the north-eastern part of the country, in Karamoja, signalling a change in the epidemiology of the disease. Due to this new incursion of FMD, the Government of Uganda requested assistance from FAO on 8 July, leading to a CMC-AH mission from 13-24 July. The mission team’s objectives were to assist the veterinary services of Uganda in assessing the new FMD situation in the country, as well as the government’s control measures. The team also advised on strategic interventions which ought to be implemented for future control of FMD in the country. Lastly, the team detailed short, medium and long term plans for resource mobilization and possible funding sources.

The mission team found that control methods already in place in Uganda could only be expected to slow the progress of the disease. There is a vast shortage of vaccine in supply, making the elimination of the disease difficult. The team noted that without an intensive eradication campaign, FMD will indeed die out, exhausting the susceptible population of cattle, however the cattle infected with FMD will then remain susceptible to infection to unrelated viruses, possibly serving as the source of future outbreaks.

The mission team observed cattle in the Karamoja region.

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Considering the current situation in Uganda, the mission team recommended two issues be addressed:1. immediate control of the outbreak with an emergency

response – setting up a national FMD centre which would coordinate all the control activities, including epidemiological assessments to detect FMD outbreaks, strengthening disease surveillance and sampling in order to identify the serotypes circulating and disease hotspots, strengthening field control capacities, and implementing a “Smart Vaccination” strategy based on infected and non-infected areas; and

2. implementing a long term action plan of developing a national FMD control strategy.

The FMD outbreak in the Karamoja region spread very quickly, therefore a general rapid control strategy is needed, with relevant actions.

Missions planned but not executed LibyaHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)

An official request was received by FAO from the Government of Libya in April 2014 for assistance controlling an outbreak of HPAI in the country. The mission was originally planned for mid-May 2014, but due to the political situation in Libya, and subsequent security issues, the mission has been postponed indefinitely.

TunisiaFoot and mouth disease (FMD)

An official request was received by FAO from the Government of Tunisia in May 2014 for assistance controlling an outbreak of FMD in the country. The mission was originally planned for May 2014, but Tunisia had withdrawn its request for assistance from FAO/CMC-AH indicating that the FMD situation in the country is under control. In July, a joint OIE/ European Commission for the control of foot and mouth disease (Eu-FMD) mission was sent to Tunisia in order to assess the country’s needs for vaccines and the country’s vaccination strategy. One CMC-AH member represented FAO’s Animal Health Service (AGAH) and applied CMC-AH processes regarding reporting and assessing the current FMD situation in the country.

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Events tracked

The CMC-AH follows many animal outbreak events as part of its daily disease intelligence meetings and tracking. Inquiries are made into each case, and information is gathered on the Centre’s Event Tracking Management System (ETMS). Many times, these events do not lead to missions, for a variety of reasons (field offices take lead in addressing the issue, a government is not open to a mission, disease is endemic, etc.).

As of October 2012, the CMC-AH has tracked the following animal disease events, without deploying a mission:

October 2012 RVF in Rwanda

February 2013 Rabies in Indonesia

March 2013 FMD in the Gaza Strip

April 2013 Anthrax in Benin HPAI in China

June 2013 African swine fever (ASF) in Belarus

August 2013 Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Uganda

September 2013 PPR in Bangladesh RVF in Senegal

December 2013 Rabies in Congo

March 2014 Classical swine fever (CSF) in Colombia FMD in Guinea

April 2014 MERS-CoV in Yemen

August 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea

Disease outbreaks are tracked on a daily basis.

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The CMC-AH holds daily action plan meetings for organizing potential missions.

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Outbreaks

Confirmed Domestic

Confirmed Wild

Of the 71 missions, approx. 38 percent were for HPAI, 22 percent were for zoonoses and 40 percent were for other TADs.

Disease HPAI H1N1 RVF ASF FMD PPR Rabies Ebola MERS Others* Total

No. of missions 27 7 6 7 6 3 3 2 9 71

*Others: Unknown Disease: 2, Newcastle disease: 2, Anthrax: 1, CBPP: 2, PRRS: 1, Brucellosis: 1, Porcine Teschovirus: 1

Mission data


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• Istituti Zooprofilattici Sperimentali (IZS)

• Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

• Murdoch University

• National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis of Viet Nam

• Pennsylvania State University

• Seoul National University

• Swiss Federal Veterinary Office

• United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC)

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

• University of Ibadan

• University of Melbourne

• University of Montreal

• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

• World Food Programme (WFP)

• World Health Organization (WHO)

• World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

• AGROTEC S.p.A.

• Asia Ecological Consultants Ltd.

• Birds Korea

• Central Luzon State University

• Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD)

• China Animal Health & Epidemiology Center (CAHEC)

• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

• Eco-health Alliance

• France Vétérinaire International (FVI)

• Friefrich Loeffler Institute

• Global Alliance for Rabies Control

• Government of the Kingdom of Netherlands

• Hong Kong University

• Instituto Superiore di Sanità

• International Atomic Energy Agency

• International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS)

• International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

• International Regional Organisation for Plant and Animal Health (OIRSA)

CMC-AH collaborators

Countries and Organizations with which the CMC-AH has collaborated:

The CMC-AH Operations Room in Rome is crucial for emergency outbreaks and rapid response.

Rapid Missions Update – Animal Health EmergenciesOctober 2012 to September 2014


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I4101E/1/09.14

Crisis Management Centre-Animal HealthFood and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsViale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, ItalyE-mail: [email protected] site: www.fao.org/emergencies/programmes/CMC-AH

CONTACT

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