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A. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and List A diseases

BSE: Europe

Several European countries reported their first case of BSE in a native animal during the last three months of 2001. These countries were Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, and Austria.

All of these cases were cows, 5-6 years of age. The Finnish cow showed clinical signs of disorder and was emergency slaughtered. The other 3 cows were detected as part of routine sampling for BSE in slaughter cattle. Sweden is now the only EU country without a native case of BSE.

For all of 2001, 8 countries reported their first native cases of BSE. In addition to the 4 countries above, these were the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, and Japan. Many of these cases were detected as part of the EU’s BSE surveillance program to test cattle over 30 months at slaughter, which was begun in January 2001.

Source: OIE

Bluetongue in the Mediterranean basin

During October-December 2001, several countries in the eastern Mediterranean basin reported their first cases of bluetongue (BT): Macedonia (Oct), Yugoslavia (Nov), and Croatia (Dec, suspected). As a result of these and other outbreaks in the past few years, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) stated in an October 2001 report that "it can be said that the dreaded bluetongue is a viral emergent in Mediterranean ruminants."

According to the FAS and the FAO, the observed northward movement of BT began on 2 fronts: in Cyprus in 1997 (BTV serotype 9) and in Tunisia in late 1999 (BTV serotype 2). Of the countries or regions shown on the map (below), in addition to the 3 most recent above, the following had never before reported an occurrence of BT: Algeria, Corsica, Bulgaria, mainland Greece, mainland Italy, and Tunisia. The Spanish island of Majorca had not had an occurrence in 40 years. In addition, the serotypes found in recent outbreaks were considered inactive.

It should be noted that "not reported" does not necessarily mean that the disease has never occurred in the country. However, according to a report issued by the FAS, "given the countries involved in the current outbreaks, it is likely that the disease has not occurred since reporting requirements were established by the OIE and became effective in the late 1920s."

Sources: FAS, Bluetongue: Mediterranean emergence - Update October 2001: First known outbreak in Macedonia @ www.fas.org/ahead/disease/btung/outbreak/2000med.htm; Promed report by P. Roeder, FAO, Nov 20, 2001.

B. Other Disease Events Including List B Diseases

New World Screwworm in Mexico

New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) was detected in two locations in the State of Chiapas, southern Mexico on October 29, 2001. The location of the outbreak was approximately 25 kilometers from the plant that sterilizes screwworms used in the screwworm eradication program in Central America. As of December 31, 2001, there were 56 cases of screwworm, the last of which was reported on December 4, all within Chiapas. DNA studies are being conducted to help determine if this outbreak was caused by escape of fertile material from the plant or an introduction from another country. Results are still pending.

New World screwworms have been eradicated from the US, Mexico and much of Central America. Mexico was declared free of screwworm in 1991. Since that time, there have been multiple outbreaks, the most recent being in 1997 in Tamaulipas (northeastern Mexico). In 1996, there was an outbreak of screwworm in Chiapas due to escape of fertile material from the screwworm sterilization plant.

Source: CEI Impact worksheet; APHIS-IS, Mexico.

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease in Cuba

In October 2001, Cuba reported to the OIE 7 new outbreaks of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), all in Havana province, that occurred between May and late September. Cuba initially reported 3 outbreaks of RHD in January 2001. Periodic follow-up reports indicate that new cases continued to occur. The last reported outbreak prior to the 2001 cases was in 1997.

Source: OIE reports, Jan 26, 2001, Oct 12, 2001.

Anthrax in North America

In October 2001, 21 head of cattle died of anthrax on two adjacent premises in Santa Clara County, California. There have been 10 known outbreaks of anthrax in California in the past 10 years. The Santa Clara cases were the only known California cases in 2001. For all of 2001 in the US, anthrax also occurred in domestic livestock in Texas, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

In Canada, 5 cattle died of anthrax in Saskatchewan in early October, marking that province’s first outbreak of anthrax since 1994. In Canada for all of 2001, anthrax was also reported in cattle in Manitoba, and in bison and moose in Alberta.

Sources: CDFA News Release, Oct 29, 2001; USDA,APHIS,VS Internal Memo, Nov 2, 2001; Promed, Oct 7, 2001; Promed, Jul 27, 2001; CEI Quarterly Summaries, July 26 and Oct 17, 2001.

United States

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease in the US - In early December 2001, rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) was confirmed in a domestic rabbit housed in a captive exotic animal facility in Flushing, New York. This is the third confirmed occurrence of RHD in the US. The previous 2 outbreaks occurred in August 2001 in a rabbitry in Utah, and in March 2000 on a premises with pet rabbits in Iowa. The source of these outbreaks was not established.

Source: APHIS Emergency Management Warning, Dec 13, 2001; CEI Impact worksheets.

New turkey disease virus discovered in the US - An October 2001 news release by the USDA-ARS reported on a new virus, called an astrovirus, that is associated with poult enteritis mortality syndrome (PEMS). PEMS is a disease of young turkeys that has caused problems for southeastern poultry producers since the early 1990s. The disease is reportedly now circulating throughout the US. The virus is very stable and resistant to disinfection.

Source: USDA-ARS News Service, Oct 11, 2001.

Chronic wasting disease in the US - The first case of CWD in Kansas was detected in a captive elk in December 2001. The elk had been purchased from an elk ranch in Colorado. Earlier in the fall, Colorado officials expressed concern that elk infected with CWD from a ranch in Colorado may have been sold to farms in as many as 15 states. In recent years, CWD has been found in 14 captive elk herds in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

Also in December, 12 of 25 confined whitetail deer at a shooting preserve in northwest Nebraska were found to have CWD. Nebraska has had a few previous cases of positive captive elk, and, in January 2001, CWD was found for the first time in a free-ranging deer in the extreme southwestern part of the state bordering Colorado and Wyoming. Until then, CWD in free-ranging deer and elk had only been reported in some counties of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming.

In late September 2001, the USDA issued a declaration of emergency because of CWD, which authorizes the use of $2.6 million from CCC funds to implement a CWD surveillance and indemnity program.

Source: Knight-Ridder Tribune, Dec 7, 2001; NY Times, Oct 22, 2001; Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Jan 16, 2001; Rocky Mountain News, Dec 24, 2001; Wichita Eagle, Dec 30, 2001; USDA press release #0189.01, Sept 27, 2001.

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