Summary of Selected Disease Events:
January - March 2001

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A. List A diseases and BSE

Foot and mouth disease: Europe

FMD in the United Kingdom, February 2001 - The United Kingdom Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) confirmed on February 20, 2001 an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, virus type O, in Essex county, England. The virus was confirmed as the same South East Asian strain as that found in Japan and Korea and associated with swill in South Africa. Prior to this outbreak, the UK was considered by the USDA to be free of FMD. The last outbreak of FMD in the UK was in 1981.

Among other control measures, the UK immediately banned exports of relevant live animals and animal products. The USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) issued an interim rule, effective January 15, 2001, removing the UK from the list of FMD-free countries. This action prohibits the importation of all ruminants and swine, and most products derived from ruminants and swine, unless those products were processed in such manner as to inactivate the FMD virus.

At the time of writing, new cases are confirmed daily. As of April 12, 2001, a total of 1260 cases in 32 counties throughout Great Britain had been confirmed (see map). There has been one confirmed case in Northern Ireland. A farm in Heddon-on-the-Wall in northeast England appears to have been the source farm. MAFF has traced the subsequent spread of disease to movement of animals prior to detection of FMD and establishment of movement restrictions.

Sources: MAFF; OIE

FMD in France, March 2001 - France’s Agriculture Ministry confirmed on March 12, 2001 an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) on a farm in the department of Mayenne in northwest France. The disease was confirmed in six bovines on a single farm which was located 500 meters from an operation which had imported sheep from the UK in February 2001. Thus, this outbreak was linked to the ongoing FMD outbreak in the UK and represented the first documented spread of the outbreak to the European continent.

As of March 30, 2001, one additional case in the Seine-et-Marne department had been confirmed. This farm had received sheep that had been in contact with British sheep at the source operation in Mayenne. As a result of the initial outbreak, French authorities implemented serologic testing of animals originating from the UK as well as contact animals. Of about 5,000 tests, 6 premises have been found with serologically positive animals, all sheep originating from the UK.

Blue areas represent counties/departments with infected premises. All of Northern Ireland is one county. The single case in Northern Ireland occurred near the affected county in the Republic of Ireland.

As a result of the incursion of FMD into France, the USDA, APHIS intensified its ongoing measures to exclude the FMD virus from the US, including (1) temporary import bans on animals and animal products from all countries in the European Union, (2) heightened alerts, disinfection protocols, and traveler education campaigns at US airports and other ports of entry, and (3) disinfection procedures for US imports of agricultural equipment from European Union countries.

Sources: OIE; APHIS

FMD in the Netherlands, March 2001 - The Dutch Agriculture Ministry confirmed three outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) on March 22, 2001. All three outbreaks were in close proximity and human contact was established as the mode of spread to one of the secondary farms. The source of infection was thought to be calves that had recently been imported from Ireland and held in France (Mayenne department) at a holding point which had also held English sheep. With detection of FMD in the Netherlands following the detection of FMD in France on March 12, the February 2001 FMD (Type O) outbreak in the United Kingdom had spread to a second country on the European continent.

As of March 30, 2001, two additional outbreaks in the vicinity of the initial 3 had been reported. One of these additional cases was linked to a case premises by human contact; the other is about 2 km away from a case premises.

Since the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland (below) are both part of the EU, the control measures implemented by APHIS (see France) apply to both of these countries.

Source: OIE

FMD in the Republic of Ireland, March 2001 - On March 22, 2001, the Republic of Ireland reported its first outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) since 1941. The outbreak was located on a sheep farm 3 km from the border with Northern Ireland in the area adjacent to the confirmed FMD outbreak in Northern Ireland. No additional cases had been reported as of April 1, 2001.

Source: OIE

Foot and mouth disease: South America

FMD in Argentina, March 2001 - On March 13, 2001, an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) Type A in Argentina was reported to the OIE in the District of Rivadavia, Buenos Aires province. Four additional outbreaks in neighboring provinces were reported in the days following. In August of 2000, serologic evidence of FMD Type A was found in Argentina in areas bordering Paraguay, Brazil, and Uruguay. These cases were linked to illegal imports of cattle.

Argentina’s fresh beef exports to the US were suspended in August 2000 due to the serological findings, and reopened in December 2000 with the requirement of additional certification regarding their origin. In response to Argentina's March 13th OIE report, the USDA issued a temporary ban on the importation of all live swine and ruminants, and any fresh swine or ruminant meat (chilled or frozen) and other products of swine and ruminants from Argentina. This ban affects any products processed on or after February 19, 2001.

As of March 31, 2001, Argentina had reported a total of 160 outbreaks in 5 provinces (see map). The origin of infection was still under investigation.

Note regarding map: Blue areas represent affected provinces/departments. Brazil and Uruguay both also reported FMD in the latter half of 2000; Brazil in August 2000 and Uruguay in October 2000. However, while the Argentina outbreaks were caused by type A virus, Brazil and Uruguay both reported outbreaks caused by type O virus.

Sources: OIE; APHIS

FMD in Colombia, 1st quarter 2001 - FMD is endemic in Colombia, except for the area bordering Panama. This area is recognized by the OIE as a zone that is free of FMD without vaccination. This free zone is the product of a joint program between Colombia and the USDA, and it functions to maintain a barrier between FMD-endemic areas and the FMD-free countries to the north. In 1998, 1999, and 2000 Colombia reported 103, 57, and 39 outbreaks of FMD (both type A and type O), respectively. Three outbreaks of FMD type O were reported in Colombia during the first quarter of 2001. These outbreaks occurred in 2 nonadjacent departments.

Source: OIE; APHIS, International Services; Reuters

Foot and mouth disease: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

The first quarter of 2001 saw a substantial number of media reports about FMD in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since FMD is considered to be endemic in both countries, the attention to FMD at this time may be more the result of other factors rather than an increase in FMD in these countries. These factors may include the occurrence of FMD in the UK, the Dubai World Cup on March 24 (apparently the richest horse race in the world), and the Islamic "Feast of Atonement" in early March, prior to which thousands of cattle, sheep, and goats are shipped from around the world to Mecca as part of the pilgrimage.

According to media reports, Saudi Arabia has had 46 outbreaks of unspecified virus type, while the UAE has had at least 3 outbreaks as of late March 2001. In 2000 and 1999, neither country reported the number of outbreaks to the OIE, although both countries are noted as having the disease. One report from the World Reference Laboratory in Pirbright, England in April 2000 documents the identification of virus type SAT2 in 2 samples from Saudi Arabia. In 1998, Saudi Arabia reported 13 outbreaks of virus type O to the OIE, while the UAE reported 8 outbreaks (incomplete data) of unspecified virus type.

Sources: Promed, March 16, 19, 22, 27; OIE

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

New EU Regulations - The EU enacted new regulations, effective January 1, 2001, requiring that all cattle over 30 months of age be tested for BSE at slaughter.

Source: European Commission

Update on BSE in Germany, 1st quarter 2001 - After Germany reported its first case of BSE in a native-born animal in November 2000, a total of 7 cases were confirmed in 2000. In the first 3 months of 2001, 44 native-born cases were confirmed.

Source: Bundesministerium fuer Verbraucherschutz, Ernaehrung, und Landwirtschaft

First native case of BSE in Italy, January 2001 - Italy announced its first native case of BSE on January 17, 2001. The affected animal was found through the mandatory testing at slaughter. As of late February, a total of 5 native-born infected animals had been found.

Sources: OIE; CNN; European Commission

B. Other disease event updates

United States

Infectious salmon anemia in Maine - The first identification of infectious salmon anemia (ISA) in the US was made in March 2001 in two sea cages near Treat Island in Cobscook Bay, Maine. ISA is an economically important viral disease which causes internal bleeding and destroys organs. It does not affect humans. Control methods include wholesale slaughter of all infected fish. In Maine, a total of 50,000 fish in the affected pen sites were destroyed. In 1999, the disease was found in pens in New Brunswick, Canada that were only 3 miles from US pen sites. Since its first isolation in Norway in 1984, the virus has also been found on the east coast of Canada in 1996, Scotland in 1998, and in Chile and Denmark’s Faroe Islands in 2000.

On March 21, 2001 the Maine Aquaculture Association announced the adoption of an industry-wide Infectious Salmon Anemia Action Plan. The action plan is designed to ensure a consistent response across the industry in actions to contain and control ISA. The action plan will create linkages between disease monitoring, audits by independent veterinarians, and site specific best management practices. The action plan makes specific technical recommendations designed to decrease the risk of ISA as well as establishing standards for ISA sampling, detection and reporting.

Sources: See "Infectious Salmon Anemia, Maine, USA, March 23, 2001, Impact Worksheet";

Promed, April 17, 2001.

Chronic wasting disease in deer in Nebraska - The first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a free-ranging deer in Nebraska was reported in January 2001. Nebraska has had 4 previous cases of CWD in captive elk. The case in a free-ranging mule deer was found through a voluntary testing program, in place since 1997, whereby hunters submit samples from harvested animals. The affected animal was harvested during the fall deer-hunting season in Kimball County in western Nebraska, approximately 7 miles from Colorado and Wyoming state lines. Until now, CWD in free-ranging deer and elk had only been reported in some counties of northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming. Free-ranging deer in both states adjacent to Kimball County, Nebraska have endemic CWD, and it appears that the affected deer might have migrated into Nebraska. As a preventative measure the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission have adopted a policy of decreasing the deer population in the affected area by holding an additional off-season deer harvest. In March 2001 approximately 40 deer were shot by state wildlife officers and tested for CWD, all with negative results.

Source: Promed, Jan 16, 2001; APHIS-VS

If you seek more information or wish to comment on this report, please contact Chris Kopral at 970-490-7819, or Milo Muller at 970-490-7844.

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