Published Date: 2023-01-13 17:40:37 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Comoros: cattle, goat, st pending, spread
Archive Number: 20230113.8707775
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - COMOROS: GOAT, SEROTYPE PENDING, SPREAD
A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org
Date: Thu 12 Jan 2023
Source: Al Watwan [in French, trans., abridged, edited]
https://alwatwan.net/societe/fièvre-aphteuse-à-ngazidja-i-trente-des-quatre-vingt-deux-bovins-contaminés-décédés.html
The National Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment (INARPE) and the National Livestock Directorate held a press conference on Tue 10 Jan 2023, during which officials expressed the extent of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] in the country. "In fact, identified since 13 Dec 2022, FMD has infected 52 animals and caused 30 deaths," deplores the head of the veterinary service and delegate of Comoros to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), Dr Youssouf Ousseni Moutroifi, who emphasized that "the disease is not to be taken lightly, especially given its fairly rapid spread."
"The disease is caused by 7 virus strains; each has its own vaccine. We took samples for the sake of what is called viral isolation. We will then have to keep the samples at a temperature of -80 deg C [-112 deg F] and then send them to a specialized laboratory to do the typing", said the head of the veterinary service. "This is how we will be able to identify the rampant strain here and then identify the vaccine to be administered. We have collected many samples in the field firstly to confirm whether it was FMD. The 2nd phase is that of the response, which cannot be done without vaccination", he added, arguing that since the country does not have an appropriate laboratory, they will send the samples to a laboratory in France. "But to do so, you need a specialized and accredited agency that can meet the storage conditions for these samples at -80 deg C. We are in contact with the said agency, but the delay is linked to the end-of-year celebrations," indicated the Comoros delegate to WOAH, who underlined that in Africa, "there are only 2 laboratories, one in South Africa and one in Botswana. And in France, they have ANSES [National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety] where we will send the samples taken here as we did in 2019." It is not the 1st time that the country has been confronted with this serious animal disease.
[Byline: Adabi Soilihi Natidja]
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Communicated by:
ProMED Rapporteur Mahmoud Orabi
[One wonders if Comoros could obtain assistance from international animal health agencies for an earlier transfer of the collected samples for the sake of timely vaccination.
According to WRLFMD's information, FMD was last reported in Comoros in March 2019; no earlier data are available. The 2019 virus strain was identified as serotype O, topotype EA-2. The genotyping results and genetic relatedness with other regional FMDV strains are available at https://www.wrlfmd.org/sites/world/files/quick_media/WRLMEG-2019-00030-COM-GTR-O-O_001.pdf. See also ProMED post 20190419.6429988>.
Other information on potential regional FMD strains is available in the commentary in ProMED post 20221227.8707478. One candidate is FMDV serotype O, topotype EA-2, officially reported from Mozambique in April 2022 (ProMED post 20220418.8702695). Its genotyping results are available on the website of WRLFMD at https://www.wrlfmd.org/sites/world/files/quick_media/WRLMEG-2022-00021-MOZ-GTR-O-O_001.pdf. - Mod.AS]