PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF LSD CONTROL FILED EXPERIENCE & DILEMMAS

Dr Nadav Galon and Dr Eeva S.M. Tuppurainen

ALTITUDE RAINFALL TEMP

2

-400 - +2,000 m 20 -1,000 mm 0 - >40 C

CATTLE POPULATION (2012)

Farm size Heads (~) Herds Type

40-1,100 250,000 828 Dairy Farms

50-6,000 200,000 457 Feedlots

20- 1,000 60,000 596 Pasture

500,000 2,000 Total ~

3

DAIRY - ZERO GRAZING BEEF -ZERO HOUSING

Density maps- E. Klement

LSD IN ISRAEL OUTBREAK TIMELINE

Estimated introduction

26/07/2012 ?/06/2012

Vaccination Pox-1

1st dairy case 1st Dx

by VS- KVI Vaccination

Non-mandatory

Mandatory Vaccination Neethling

Pox-10

03/2013

24/10/2012

28/07/2012 06/2016

Last case

08/2013

1989 2006 2007

PREVIOUS LSD OUTBREAKS IN ISRAEL

6

1989 2006 2007

2012 1989- total Stamping Out (SO) 2006/2007- Partial SO 2012- minimal SO

2012 LSD SPREAD PREDICTION

7

28 -07-2012

Lebanon

Israel

Syria

7

2

19

Initial picture

28.07.2012

~ 40 Beef herds

4,000 cows

Mutual grazing

Poor pasture

Mountains, forests

Over crowding

10-60% morbidity

10

LEBANON

SYRIA

EARLY DETECTION

In continent, in country, in region

Preparedness; knowledge, awareness

Remote border areas

Few farmers, part time farmers, intensive/ extensive

Few official inspectors, few clinicians, no mandatory visits

Cattle gathering abilities; paddocks, cattle chutes, workers

Sampling , shipment; incorrect – false negative

Israel; Window gap- infection to detection ~ 6-8 weeks (skin scars support estimation)

MONITORING & SURVEILLANCE

Knowledge & training (“exotic/ tropical… diseases”- terms of the past!)

The 3 R’s: Routine, Records, Reports

Same principles; adapted to specific task & conditions

Multi-disease approach

Resources; prevention cheaper than control

Mandatory visits to each herd; useful yet leaves large time gaps

Non official players – other interests

Advanced technology; IR, Pedometry, GPS…? Dairy vs beef

DIAGNOSIS IN THE FIELD

Awareness & knowledge

difficult first ; new country, new region, not learnt

easy- once you have seen it

Mild… moderate cases can be missed, ignored- intentionally/ non intentionally

Twilight zone – edge of outbreak region - vaccination of incubating cattle

Lab submission

Important in early, new herds/regions, unclear cases, monitoring outbreak boundaries

Avoid lab swamping

Important post outbreak; suspicions, passive/ active surveillance

GSP - Good Sampling Practice – especially filed personnel

VACCINE & VACCINATION

The homologues vaccines (OBP) and JOVAC 10X Sheep Pox – protect

All available vaccines are non-GMP

Purity- Contaminants

Potency - alters

Field safety trial 2013 - no adverse reaction

“Neethling response” < 1%

Handling, application; many causes for failure

Coverage; partial / insufficiency- outbreaks

Incentive / cost-benefit to farmer/ private vet

50% of infected animals sub-clinical - multiuse needle – excellent transmission

Incubating herds/ less than 3 weeks prior to incursion

Regional & Preemptive vaccination approach

Cost-Benefit analysis

CUMULATIVE # OF INFECTED HERDS

POX 1

Neethling POX 10

Spring- Vectors

STAMPING OUT- PRO’S

Total stamping-out can be effective and practical when;

the first incursion to a country or a defined region is detected and notified early enough

the infection to detection period is short

the threat of repeated incursions is low

Epi’ unit can be well defined and isolated

When it works;

quick & effective

Regaining freedom of LSD

back to normal business

ISRAEL LSD CONTROL POLICY: 1989- total Stamping-Out 2006/2007- Partial SO 2012- limited SO

STAMPING OUT- CON’S

Different countries – different scenarios

Expensive ( 500- 2,500 Euro / cow vs 2-3 Euro/cow - vaccination)

Indirect losses

Very expensive when ineffective … when to give up ?

Demands much more personnel, time and resources than vaccination

Destructive to farmers livelihood, economy and sustainability

public perception and media / political interference

“No one solution fits all” – adapt policy to reality

EFSA statement 2016 – “if vaccination coverage is high enough- S.O. has minor effect”

CARCASS DISPOSAL

Legislation & Environmental factors; water, land…

Amount of carcasses to dispose

Availability on farm/ near farm, equipment, cost

Is a carcass an important source of LSD spread?

Cover, repellent spray

Distance to incineration plant/ rendering plant (Israel -1)

Vehicles route- entering non-infected farms

Special vehicles/ special routes - extra costs

Mobile incineration plant

FARM BIOSECURITY

Most infections caused and spread by F.B.I= Flying Biting Insects

Definition of farm boundaries; grazing, non-grazing

Difficulties

Herd size- Backyard herds; 1-10 heads

Herd density

Free roaming, nomadic

Communal grazing

General disinfection mostly ineffective

PPE- reduce inter-herd transmission

Post outbreak cleansing and disinfection? Cost-Benefit Analysis

SPREAD OF LSD

Slow & sure (compared to BT, BEF, EHD)

Efficient; all herds, all cattle

Mostly by F.B.I

Non specific

FBI move with cattle

Move without cattle – 1-2 km

Infected cattle move- meeting FBI on the way, at new site – sales, abattoirs…

Milk tankers, carcass disposal, hides, meat ?? – no practical proof ~ negligible

Halt farm commercial activities; Difficult to impossible ; sales, Vet, AI, suppliers

No wildlife involvement

Musca Stomoxys Haematobia

NB Players in Israel

HERD TYPE BY MONTH OF INDEX CASE

VECTOR CONTROL

Various vectors; different breeding sites, season, housing…

Repellents vs insecticides

Registration; on animals, environment, effect on other fauna

May reduces intra-herd spread

Hardly effects inter-herd and inter-region spread

Short effect. Reduced by rain, summer cooling by water (3-6X day)

Mild winter (Mediterranean) – FBI active in winter

Colder winter; over-wintering and burst in spring

Research; valuable , limited contribution to control

Cost- Benefit ?

Where there is cattle - there are FBI

Horn flies

CATTLE MOVEMENTS CONTROL

legislation, regulation, “green Police”

Permit prior to movement

Inspection, enforcement – limited recourses

Remote areas, roads accessibility

Holidays effect; Eid Al Adha, Ramadan… (FMD as well)

Longer period/ stricter measures - reduce compliance

Private vet “clinical freedom certificate”- problematic

In long and wide epidemic- long distance spread will occur

UNAUTHORIZED MOVEMENT

Dairy

Beef

unauthorized movement

23

RISK PERCEPTION & ANIMAL WELFARE

Farmers: commercial vs traditional

Politicians & legislators response to farmers, media… regulators

“why destroy healthy cattle” / can recover/ recovered ?

Recovery price; economical, social, quitters

Euthanasia

Salvage, severe cases – acceptable

Techniques; legal, available means, sedation

Tolerance; farmer, media, vets/ inspectors, animal activists

WHEN THE OUTBREAK ENDS

LSD has a sweeping mode

Exposed Population protected ; by infection / by vaccination (after 3 weeks)

Repopulation; a.s.a.p (vaccinated herds- no empty farms)

Replacement rate:

Dairy – 20-30% annually

Beef dams- 10-20% annually

Feedlot- months

Vaccinate for several (?) years

Minimize trade disruptions – increase restrictions - increase non-compliance

Active surveillance- expensive and complex

SIGNIFICANCE TO OTHER TAD’S

“Out of Africa”/ Asia…

Through the Middle East

Other cross-Mediterranean routes

“ASF route”

Vertical (BTV 8)

Stop it at the earliest convenient point

Reservoir behind the border

“the facts of today are the fallacies of tomorrow” EFSA Journal 2015; 13(1):3986

Live bovine movements 2008-2014

EPILOGUE

Professionalism; Theory - knowledge , Practice- the small details

Solidarity; communication- collaboration- sharing

Transparency and risk communication with all relevant stake holders

Flexible strategy and adjustments of tactics during the outbreak

“It’s tough at the top” – applause to decision makers and executors at all levels & tasks

Thank You

“Every challenge is an opportunity and a resource”

“Very few things are simple Black or White”