The epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease: implications for New Zealand

Foot-and-mouth disease is an acute, highly communicable disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, both domesticated and wild. It may well be the most contagious disease known in the animal kingdom. The key features that contribute to this include its ability to gain entry and initiate infection through a variety of sites, the small infective dose, the short incubation period, the release of virus before the onset of clinical signs, the massive quantities of virus excreted from infected animals, its ability to spread large distances due to airborne dispersal, and the persistence of the virus in the environment. These features, plus the ability of the virus to be disseminated through the movements of animals, animal products, people, and plant and equipment makes the disease very difficult to control. New Zealand has never experienced a foot-and-mouth disease epidemic, and the economic consequences of an outbreak would be disastrous, due to the eradication costs, the loss of productivity and the impact on the export of animals and animal products. The smuggling of meat products, embryos or semen into the country are perceived as the most likely ways in which the disease could be introduced. The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries therefore operates a two-tier system of defense against foot-and-mouth disease. The first tier involves border protection through stringent import controls to prevent the entry of infectious material. If this barrier is breached, an emergency response programme is activated, involving a stamping-out eradication strategy. This paper attempts to draw on overseas historical outbreak experiences and research findings to gain insights into the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease as it would relate to New Zealand.     

Ring vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease

The study of the available information, notably after the epizootic of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which raged in Western Europe in 2001, shows that, in the current conditions of the international sanitary rules relative to this disease, in a FMD-free country of Western Europe accidentally infected, ring vaccination is a solution which, with regard to preventive slaughter, contains more inconveniences (notably economic) than advantages. The appeal to ring vaccination would be interesting only as far as the international sanitary rules would be modified by taking into account the results expected from the coordinated use of highly purified vaccines and differential research kits (vaccine-linked versus infection-linked antibodies). Propositions are this way made.

Résumé

L'étude des informations disponibles, notamment après l'épizootie de fièvre aphteuse qui a sévi en Europe occidentale en 2001, montre que, dans les conditions actuelles de la réglementation sanitaire internationale relative à cette maladie, dans un pays indemne d'Europe occidentale accidentellement infecté, la vaccination périfocale est une solution qui, par rapport à l'abattage préventif, comporte davantage d'inconvénients (notamment économiques) que d'avantages. Le recours à la vaccination périfocale ne serait intéressant que dans la mesure où la réglementation sanitaire internationale serait modifiée en prenant en compte les résultats attendus de l'emploi coordonné de vaccins hautement purifiés et de coffrets de dépistage différentiel (anticorps post infection/anticorps post vaccinaux). Des propositions sont faites en ce sens.     

Aspects of emergency vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease

Emergency vaccination is one of several measures which may be deployed to control outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease. It can be a valuable adjunct to the application of the essential zoosanitary controls which must include rapid diagnosis, tracing, movement control and disinfection and which may also include slaughter of infected and in-contact animals and their safe disposal. Criteria which determine the successful application of emergency vaccination include access to vaccine(s) that (i) contain virus strain(s) of sufficient antigenic relatedness to the outbreak strain(s) (ii) are of the required type of vaccine formulation (iii) have acceptable innocuity and potency (iv) have appropriate availability, including quantity and immediacy of supply and (v) meet considerations of cost. Contingency planning should include provision for emergency vaccination and must address the complex decisions of not only when, where, and how to apply vaccine but also its economic consequences. Computer modelling may be a useful aid to cost benefit and decision support systems in this context. Planning must be detailed and regularly reviewed and should ensure, (i) that the legal and financial aspects are catered for (ii) that any contractual supply agreements are in place (iii) that information is collected and its currency maintained on the species, numbers and whereabouts of susceptible livestock (iv) that vaccination teams are formed and trained (v) that the vaccine cold chain is established and maintained (vi) that supplies of vaccination equipment are held in readiness and (vii) that briefing materials are available to inform the various stakeholders on relevant aspects of emergency vaccination. Knowledge concerning the characteristics and performance of emergency vaccines is summarised and areas identified for further research.     

The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus: implications for its physical and biological properties

The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus has been solved at a resolution of 2.9 A by X-ray diffraction techniques. The overall structural organisation of the particle is similar to that seen in other picornaviruses but there are several unique features. Many of these help to explain its characteristic physical and biological properties. In particular the canyon or pit found at the surface of other picornaviruses is lacking, which has important implications for cell attachment and the process of infection. Also there are 60 large disordered protrusions at the surface corresponding to the major antigenic site. This disorder is of particular interest in relation to the striking ability of linear synthetic peptides to induce protective immunity against foot-and-mouth disease.     

Current status of immunoprophylaxis against foot-and-mouth disease]

An analysis is made of the latest developments and importance of immunoprophylaxis against FMD, with reference to the epizootiological situation of the disease and its bearings, today, on industrialized livestock production. Comprehensive immunoprophylactic action (vaccination of all cattle every year) has been taken first by the GDR and later on by more European countries, as well. As a result of such action the disastrous impact of FMD and its associated high loss rate have been considerably mitigated. A decisive role, in that context, has been played by the development of effective inactivated vaccines for swine. An FMD live vaccine has been devised in GDR for after-care of swine. It is not only harmless to the animal, but, as well known, it provides numerous advantages over adsorbate vaccines. FMD immunoprophylaxis for full success depends primarily on the proper selection of virus strains suitable for vaccine produktion, vaccine quality, avoidance of post-vaccination damage or disease, and the availability of an efficient concept for vaccine application. The above problems are expounded in this paper, and derived from them are substantive conclusions for further studies, with the view to improving FMD immunoprophylaxis.     

Vaccination of weaned pigs against oedema disease

The trial was performed in a pig-production unit with high prevalence of postweaning oedema disease (ED). An experimental inactivated VT2e-toxoid vaccine was produced. Two randomised treatment groups of piglets were formed. The animals in one group (n = 351) were vaccinated intramuscularly at 1 week of age with 12.5 micrograms and at 3 weeks of age with 25 micrograms of inactivated VT2e toxin. The other group (n = 350) was placebo treated. We evaluated: average daily nursery weight gain, nursery mortality due to ED, fattening average daily weight gain until slaughter and VT2e-specific antibody titres. Serological tests were performed four times: before first vaccination, at weaning, at the end of nursery period and at an age of 4 month. Vaccination improved nursery average weight gains (301 +/- 31 g/day vs. 278 +/- 41 g/day). Mortality due to edema disease decreased in vaccinates: 0.9% vs. 6.9%. Fattening average daily weight gain until slaughter did not differ between the groups (711 +/- 41 g vs. 708 +/- 46 g).     

以乳酸杆菌为载体的口蹄疫病毒VP1基因DNA疫苗猪体免疫试验

给猪口服和肌肉注射以乳酸杆菌为载体的口蹄疫病毒VP1基因DNA疫苗（L．acido SFMD-1），以正向间接血凝试验（IHA）和MTT方法分别检测了免疫后FMDV VP1抗体的动态变化和特异性T细胞增殖反应情况，并与商用FMD油佐剂疫苗、裸质粒FMDV VP1基因DNA疫苗诱导的特异性免疫抗体水平进行了比较。结果显示，口服组猪在免疫后第21d抗体效价达到了1：2^7.7，而肌肉注射组猪为1：2^3.3。加强免疫后2周，口服免疫组抗体水平下降到1：2^5.3，到第3周快速上升到1：2^8；与此相对应，肌肉途径免疫组猪抗体效价缓慢地从1：2^5.3上升到1：2^6.7。口服途径和肌肉注射途径的刺激指数（SI）分别为1．93和2．00，2种免疫途径都可以诱导特异性T细胞增殖反应。证实，该疫苗能够在猪体诱发VP1特异性T细胞和B细胞反应，以乳酸杆菌为载体是DNA免疫和预防猪口蹄疫的一种极有前景的方法。     

Simultaneous vaccination of cattle against foot-and-mouth disease and rinderpest

Summary A total of 118 local cattle in the Sultanate of Oman were divided into three groups, one which received a trivalent inactivated foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, another which received attenuated tissue culture rinderpest vaccine and a third which received both vaccines simultaneously at separate sites on opposite sides of the neck. The serological response to vaccination was monitored at day 0,21 and 42 in virus neutralisation tests. The simultaneous administration of the two vaccines produced no ill effects and the serological responses did not differ significantly from the response to either vaccine given separately.

---

Resumen Un total de 118 bovinos en Oman se dividieron en tres grupos, recibiendo el primero una vacuna trivalente inactivada de aftosa, el segundo recibió una vacuna preparada en cultivos celulares y atenuada, recibiendo el tercer grupo ambas vacunas simultáneamente en el lado derecho e izquierdo de la tabla del cuello. La respuesta serológica a la vacunación se estudió los días 0,21 y 42 mediante la técnica de neutralización viral. La administración simultánea de las dos vacunas antes mencionadas, no produje efectos indeseables y la respuesta serológica no difirió significativamente de aquella obtenida mediante la aplicación de ambas vacunas en forma separada.

---

Résumé 118 bovins d’origine locale du Sultanat d’Oman ont été divisés en trois groupes: l’un a re?u un vaccin anti-aphteux trivalent, un autre le vaccin antibovipestique atténué sur cultures de tissu, le troisième les deux vaccins en même temps de part et d’autre du cou. La réponse sérologique à la vaccination a été évaluée aux jours 0,21 et 42 par des tests de séroneutralisation. L’administration simultanée des deux vaccins ne produit pas d’effet néfaste et les réponses sérologiques ne différent pas de manière significative de la réponse fournie par l’un des vaccins séparément.