Diagnosis of foot and mouth disease

Because foot-and-mouth disease has the potential for an explosive spread, instant and reliable diagnosis is of special importance. In this article the clinical examination, types and shipment of samples as well as the current methods of laboratory diagnosis by detection of FMD-virus, antigen, nucleic acid and antibodies are reviewed. Special emphasis is laid on the differentiation between vaccinated and infected animals, in respect to conventional as well as novel vaccines.     

History of the control of foot and mouth disease

From the many existing documents on the history of foot and mouth disease, it is possible to describe the practical measures adopted for disease surveillance and control from ancient times until the 20th century.

Surveillance was based on diagnosis or post-mortem examination, and also on knowledge of the conditions under which infection occurred: aetiology, pathogenesis, mode of infection, susceptible species, virulent material, etc. The historical facts are assembled and compared, with comments on each of these points.

Control was based upon the application of isolation, then slaughter or aphtisation, then vaccination. A study of these various procedures makes it possible to compare their efficacy.

Résumé

D'après les nombreux documents existant sur l'histoire de la fièvre aphteuse il est possible de décrire les mesures adoptées pour suivre l'évolution de la maladie et la maîtriser, depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XXème siècle.

La surveillance de la maladie était fondée sur le diagnostic clinique ou l'examen des lésions, mais aussi sur la connaissance des condition de l'infection: étiologie, pathogénie, mode de transmission du contage, matières virulentes, etc. Les faits historiques concernant ces différents points sont rassemblés, comparés et commentés.

La maîtrise de la fièvre aphteuse a été assurée soit par des mesures d'isolement, puis d'abattage sanitaire, soit par des opérations d'aphtisation puis de vaccination. L'étude de ces différentes stratégies permet de comparer leur efficacité respective.     

Food additives used in meat processing according to the Polish and European Union legislation

This paper presents the legal regulations related to the use of food additives in meat production in Poland and the European Union. The Polish legal definition of food additives is given as well as the classification of permitted food additives added to food and stimulants by their technological function. In addition, a definition of processing aids in the food industry is included. It shows that Polish legislation includes food additives used to ensure or improve food nutritional value, whereas in the EU legislation, these substances are not included in the list of food additives. Moreover, the Council Directives include food additive specific purity criteria, whereas the Polish regulations do not mention the legal regulations of this issue in practice. The European Union use mechanisms and procedures for the introduction of new food additives into internal markets as well as controlling the circulation of additives. The Polish legislation in practice, however, does not determine approval or methods for the introduction of new food additives to the market. Legal regulations on the monitoring of food additives no exist.     

Some observations on the diagnosis of foot and mouth disease

Extract

Although in most instances the clinical diagnosis of Foot and Mouth disease presents no great difficulty, one's mental state is generally somewhat tense when on the way to deal with a suspected case. So much depends on the decision—a nation awaits the verdict! Hence the spurious glamour of foot and mouth disease, which would ordinarily be considered one of the most easily recognized of infectious diseases.     

Characteristics of foot and mouth disease virus in Taiwan

Since March 1997 two strains of foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus have found their way into Taiwan, causing severe outbreaks in pigs and in Chinese yellow cattle. Outbreaks occurred in March 1997 were caused by a pig-adapted virus strain (O/Taiwan/97) which did not infect other species of cloven-hoofed animals by natural route. The epidemic spread over the whole region of Taiwan within two months and the aftermath was 6,147 pig farms infected and 3,850,746 pigs destroyed. In June 1999, the second strain of FMD virus (O/Taiwan/99) was isolated from the Chinese yellow cattle in the Kinmen Prefecture and in the western part of Taiwan. By the end of 1999, Chinese yellow cattle were the only species infected and those infected cattle did not develop pathological lesions. Seroconversions of serum neutralization antibody and on non-structural protein (NSP) antibodies were the best indicators for infection in non-vaccinated herds. The infected animals, however, excreted infectious levels of virus to infect new hosts. Based on the detection of the specific antibody to FMD virus, and virus isolation from oesophageal-pharyngeal (OP) fluid samples, ten herds of Chinese yellow cattle located in Kinmen and Taiwan were declared to have been infected. During the period of January to March 2000, however, five outbreaks caused by FMD virus similar to the O/Taiwan/99 virus occurred in four prefectures of Taiwan. The infected species included goats, Chinese yellow cattle and dairy cattle. Those outbreaks have caused high mortality in goat kids under two weeks old and also developed typical clinical signs of infection in dairy cattle.     

一例牛口蹄疫疫苗免疫过敏反应的诊治

口蹄疫是由口蹄疫病毒引起的偶蹄动物的一种急性、热性、高度接触性一类传染病,具有发病急、蔓延快、传播广、危害大等特点。我国对本病采取了100%注射疫苗强制免疫的措施,有效地控制了本病的发生及蔓延。然而在注苗免疫过程中,因个体差异等原因,个别家畜往往出现不同程度的过敏反应,有时因救治不及时或治疗方法不当造成死亡,给养殖户带来一定的经济损失,也影响了防疫工作的有效推进。文章通过一例牛口蹄疫免疫过敏病例的救治,介绍了牛在接种口蹄疫疫苗后可能出现的应激反应,并提出了解救措施,为及时、有效处理口蹄疫疫苗应激反应提供参考。     

Action of FAO in the control of foot and mouth disease

This paper describes the role played by FAO in the control of foot and mouth disease. Since 1954 the FAO European Commission for the control of foot-and-mouth disease co-ordinated the regional programme for eradication of FMD in Europe. One of the major achievements of the Commission has been to prevent the introduction and spread of exotic strains of foot and mouth disease into Europe through the Balkans. FAO also supports the activities of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease World Reference Laboratory located in the Institute of Animal Health, Pirbright, UK.

The Infectious Diseases/EMPRES Group of the Animal Health Service, Animal Production and Health Division of FAO, promotes a global approach to the control and eradication of transboundary animal diseases over the world. For foot and mouth disease, the strategy is based on co-ordinated regional programmes. For FAO, no sustainable progress can be achieved in FMD control over the world without addressing and supporting the control of the disease in endemic countries.

Résumé

L'article décrit le rôle joué par la FAO dans la lutte contre la fièvre aphteuse. Depuis 1954, la Commission Européenne de Lutte contre la fièvre aphteuse de la FAO coordonne le programme régional d’éradication en Europe. Un des succès majeur de cette Commission a été de prévenir l'introduction et la diffusion des souches exotiques de virus de la fièvre aphteuse à travers les Balkans. La FAO soutient également les activités du Laboratoire Mondial de référence pour la fièvre aphteuse qui se situe à l'Institut pour la Santé Animale de Pirbright au Royaume Uni.

Le Groupe Maladies Infectieuses/EMPRES du Service de Santé Animale au sein de la Division Production et Santé Animale de la FAO défend une approche globale de lutte et d’éradication des maladies transfrontalières à travers le monde. Pour la fièvre aphteuse, la stratégie est basée sur une approche régionale coordonnée. Pour la FAO, aucun progres significatif durable ne peut être obtenu dans la lutte contre la fièvre aphteuse à travers le monde sans que la question de la lutte dans les pays où la maladie est endémique ne soit prise en compte et soutenue.