New Strains of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus in the Region: Surveillance, Control, Eradication and Prevention

A total of thirteen countries responded to the questionnaire on this item that was circulated by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE). These countries were classified on the basis of the history of FMD outbreaks over the past five years: FMD is endemic, FMD outbreaks are sporadic, FMD outbreaks have rarely occurred and FMD outbreaks have not occurred. The ‘real time’ picture of the FMD situation across the whole region is generally incomplete, as the surveillance systems in place are not uniformly reactive or comprehensive. Reports of the World Reference Laboratory (WRL) for FMD and the OIE over the last five years indicate that a number of new strains of FMD have been detected in the region. Some of the conclusions presented in this report are also derived from this historical information and official reports, as well as anecdotal evidence and personal experience working with animal health services in the region. In the past seven years, there have been new strains of FMD detected in the Philippines, Taipei China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, South Korea, East Russia, Japan, Malaysia, the People's Republic of China and Thailand. The majority of these outbreaks have been caused by the so-called Pan-Asia strain of FMD. Much of the understanding of the regional epidemiology of FMD has arisen from studies at the WRL, but this understanding could be improved by a more co-ordinated effort by Member Countries to submit field specimens to the WRL.