12-13 APRIL 2012 Report BUCHAREST, ROMANIA BUCHAREST, SESSION RD 83 FMD COMMISSION u OF THE E OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BUCHAREST, ROMANIA 12-13 APRIL 2012 • 83RD SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE EuFMD COMMISSION • REPORT BUCHAREST, ROMANIA 12-13 APRIL 2012 Report 83RD SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE EuFMD COMMISSION FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE (EuFMD) Rome, 2012 2 Table of Contents Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 4 Meeting Report ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1. Adoption of the Agenda. ....................................................................................................................... 8 2. Report on activities conducted under the framework of the EuFMD/EC Agreement .......................... 8 Report ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 FAO Evaluation options and process ........................................................................................................ 8 3. FMD epidemic situation in the region ................................................................................................... 9 Overview of FMD virus circulation and risk (WRL Report) ....................................................................... 9 West Eurasia – with focus on Asia-1 epidemic in Turkey and Iran ........................................................ 10 Egypt and Libya – with focus on SAT2 and African type A epidemics .................................................... 12 4. West Eurasia FMD Roadmap ............................................................................................................... 14 Report of the 3rd Roadmap progress review (Istanbul, 26-27th March) ................................................. 14 Practical epidemiology for progressive control (PEPc) training programme ......................................... 15 5. Progressive of initiatives at the 39th Session ....................................................................................... 15 Strengthening the Balkan Region FMD laboratory capacity (tender and follow-up) ............................. 15 Strengthening Contingency Planning and decision support; EuFMD Member States ........................... 16 6. Global FMD Working Group and plan for the Global FMD Conference .............................................. 16 Feedback on recent regional scientific and Roadmap conferences (South Asia (New Delhi), Eastern Africa (Nairobi)), and upcoming Regional FMD –PCP meetings ................................................ 16 7. Standing Technical Committee (STC) .................................................................................................. 17 8. Financial and Administrative report .................................................................................................... 18 Financial reports ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Administrative Report; contracts and personnel ................................................................................... 19 9. Any other business .............................................................................................................................. 19 83rd Executive Committee meeting of the EuFMD, Bucharest, Romania, 12-13 April 2012 3 Conclusions and Recommendations Considering: 1. That Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) control in the countries of West Eurasia, North Africa and the Middle-East is of very high importance for South-East Europe and the Mediterranean region; 2. The high risk of further epidemic development in the countries of South-East Europe, North Africa and Eastern Mediterranean areas as a result of: a. the type Asia 1 epidemic in Turkey and Iran, and fresh incursions of type A and O viruses adding to the circulation of these serotypes in Turkey; b. the SAT2 epidemics in Egypt and Libya, and the lack of vaccination against this serotype in the middle-east and most of North Africa with the exception of Tunisia; c. the continued presence of FMD serotypes A and O in Egypt, and the new incursion of an African serotype A genotype; d. the unclear situation in Libya and Syria as result of political changes and limited official reporting, and the lack of border security in the central Sahara region following the revolution in Libya. 3. The rapid movements of animals from east to west from distant parts of West Eurasia, and from sub-Saharan Africa into Libya and Egypt, and into the middle-east, as a result of high differences in value and high demand for live animals; 4. The political events in neighboring regions to Europe, particularly southern Mediterranean, that affect FMD prevention and risk management operations; 5. That containment of the SAT2 epidemic would be extremely difficult and costly if it spread beyond Israel into areas of the middle-east/West Eurasia where trans-boundary spread of FMDV is the norm; 6. That all Member States are at a higher risk of SAT2 incursion, and that at least one Member State borders with Egypt and has requested actions to contain the SAT2 epidemic threat, and that this threat could be long term since the likely scenario is for SAT2 to become endemic in Egypt; 7. The FMD national reference laboratories in the Balkan region require strengthening to ensure they can undertake the service required in an FMD emergency, and all European NRLs need guidance to ensure suitable tests are in place for the current threats; 8. The Regional FMD Roadmap for West Eurasia has made progress to engage 14 countries to improve national FMD management capacity and preventive measures, and that FMD Regional Roadmaps in other regions are at a promising stage of development but need sustained support following the Global FMD Conference in Bangkok. 4 Agrees and Recommends: 1. Member States should be aware of the high risk of further epidemic development of the FMDV currently circulating in parts of the European neighborhood, especially the threats of SAT2, and Asia-1, but also the risk situation for further African FMDV incursions; 2. Agrees that a co-ordinated approach between the FAO, EuFMD, OIE and EC to containing SAT2 spread in the south and east Mediterranean is essential and the EuFMD Commission should plays its role in co-ordination, and provide specific technical and other inputs to Egypt and other directly affected countries, and support to at-risk countries through the established mechanism with the EC; 3. The emergency response plan for the containment of SAT2, developed by the CMC-AH together with the EuFMD Secretariat, should be brought to the attention of those with possible funding interests in South and East Mediterranean, and that those elements of the plan which EuFMD/EC can support are quickly identified; 4. In relation to the SAT2 situation, agrees that the EuFMD Commission should, under its established mechanism with the EC: a. provide support with a focus on technical expertise to assessment missions, to support the decision making levels of the veterinary services, and to technical advice and in- country support to improve the impact of current control measures; b. give support to VS of at risk countries to the immediate east of Egypt, and west of Libya, to establish in the NRLs the capacity for SAT2 diagnosis and FMDV serotyping, and effort is made to establish control zones to the east and west of the SAT2 affected regions of Egypt and Libya; c. should respond supportively to the request from Israel to organize a meeting for neighbouring countries on FMD management (“Tripartite meeting”), given the current regional risks and political developments, and proximity to EU countries including Cyprus; d. establish a diagnostic bank for SAT2 at the Secretariat, and that European NRLs are made aware of the need to hold diagnostic tests suitable for SAT2 diagnosis; 5. Agrees that additional support is given by EuFMD, through the FAO Laboratory Network in West/Central Africa, to ensure that virus typing and submissions to reference centers occur from sahelian countries, which may be providing a continuing source of infections in Libya and Egypt; 6. Agrees that, regarding FMD management in West Eurasia, the Secretariat should continue to support the organization of the annual West Eurasia Roadmap progress reviews, and begin plans for the 4th Annual Meeting to be held ahead of the EuFMD General Session in 2013; 7. Calls upon the Turkish authorities intensify their efforts to prevent spread of the Asia-1 outbreaks from the eastern Borders, and to progress rapidly with efforts to evaluate the new Asia-1 vaccine in potency tests and in field effectiveness studies; 8. Recommends further vaccine effectiveness studies in the field be supported, including against type A, and SAT2; 9. Recommends that greater effort be made to establish a functional early warning system for FMDV covering the four most significant countries in West Eurasia, and EuFMD with Turkey should support continued information flow and sample submission at least from Pakistan, Afghanistan into WELNET and WRL; 83rd Executive Committee meeting of the EuFMD, Bucharest, Romania,