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.     

家畜口蹄疫的防治措施

口蹄疫是由口蹄疫病毒引起的急性、热性、高度接触性的烈性传染病,主要侵害偶蹄动物,人偶见感染。发病动物主要表现为口腔黏膜、蹄部、乳房皮肤等处发生水疱和溃烂。本病在世界多地均有发生,亚洲等很多国家都有发生和流行,我们的某些邻国几乎年年都有发生。各国政府都十分重视该病的防治工作,世界动物卫生组织(OIE)将口蹄疫列为A类疫病。本病有很强的传染性,一旦发病,传播速度很快,流行范围广,可行成大流行,造成严重的经济损失。1.易感动物口蹄疫病毒能侵害多种动物,但主要是偶蹄兽。家畜中以牛最易感(奶牛、牦牛、犏牛最易感,水牛次之),…     

口蹄疫的流行新动态

口蹄疫是引起偶蹄动物的烈性传染病,此病的流行与暴发对各国家畜养殖业及畜产品进出口贸易造成了严重损失。本文结合近年来口蹄疫在世界范围内流行情况及对口蹄疫病毒的研究资料,对口蹄疫暴发流行中出现的新动态进行了论述。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Ivory Coast]

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) due to SAT2 occurred among cattle, sheep and pigs in C?te-d'Ivoire. The morbidity and mortality were low so vaccination of only high value livestock in intensive production systems was suggested.     

Vaccination against foot and mouth disease: current state and perspectives

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in many parts of the world and poses a permanent threat for cloven-hoofed animals in all countries. The available vaccines against FMD are safe and efficacious. Combat of FMD by vaccination is controversial in currently FMD-free countries including the ones of the European Union. The article summarizes our knowledge concerning production and use of vaccines, virus persistence, differentiation between vaccinated and infected animals, vaccination programs and perspectives of vaccine development.