Published Date: 2023-02-15 04:23:27 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Iraq (05): (DI) livestock, st SAT-2, spread, control
Archive Number: 20230215.8708397
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - IRAQ (05): (DIYALA) LIVESTOCK, SEROTYPE SAT-2, SPREAD, CONTROL
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Date: Thu 9 Feb 2023
Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed via Hathalyoum [in Arabic, machine trans., abridged, edited]
https://rb.gy/5uqwpf
The Iraqi governorate of Diyala, northeast of the capital, Baghdad, has recently recorded hundreds of cases of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] in buffalo pastures, amid government measures that prevented the transportation of livestock, to limit the spread of the disease, and calls for the provision of treatments and vaccines.
FMD began to spread about a month ago in the buffalo pastures in the town of Khan Bani Saad in the governorate, and the governorate administration subsequently issued a decision banning the transfer of livestock between the towns of the governorate, except for those that underwent a medical examination, and the local administration confirmed at the time that it had provided vaccines following an emergency meeting. The cadres of the provincial veterinary department discussed the most important measures to contain the outbreak of the disease.
The veterinarian in the governorate's veterinary department, Muhammad al-Anbaki, said that "the disease is serious; about 1600 cases were recorded in the fields of calves, specifically in the town of Bani Saad, in which calves are raised abound. About 300 of those cases perished." He confirming to "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed" that "the department formed special medical teams to follow up on the fields in which cases were recorded, and that a vaccination campaign is currently being conducted in those fields."
The owners of the pastures in which the infections were recorded confirm that the disease entered the province because of imported calves. Hajj Hassan al-Saadi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: "I had more than 40 buffaloes infected, and 12 of them perished. Now we are trying to treat the injuries," explaining that "the disease entered the province by calves imported from Iran, so the import process through which calves infected with the disease must be brought in without examinations. He pointed out that "the losses incurred by pasture owners are very large, and the government must take firm measures that limit the entry and spread of the disease, provide treatments and vaccines, and spare us losses."
[Byline: Zaid Al-Obaidi]
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Communicated by:
ProMED Rapporteur Mahmoud Orabi
[According to official information, the recent FMDV event in Iraq started in the Diyala governorate on 3 Jan 2023, affecting water buffaloes. On the same date, FMD was reported from Ninewe, affecting buffaloes, sheep, and cattle. Both events were notified to WOAH on 27 Jan 2023, when FMD was confirmed, while the serotype "pending." On 3 Feb 2023, follow-up report [FUR] 3 was submitted, notifying 9 outbreaks throughout the country. It was stated that the causative pathogen was FMDV SAT-2, serotyped by the Pirbright FMD reference laboratory.
The quantitative data summary of the 9 outbreaks combined, follow:
Species / Susceptible / Cases / Deaths
Buffaloes / 850 / 573 / 11
Cattle / 3241 / 1194 / 0
Sheep / 25 812 / 23 741 / 10
All species, total / 29 903 / 25 508 / 21
No data on vaccination were included.
On 12 Feb 2023, Iraq submitted to the WOAH FUR 4 (https://wahis.woah.org/#/in-review/4856?reportId=159268&fromPage=event-dashboard-url), indicating "unexpected change or increase," and reporting 5 new outbreaks; the total accumulated becomes 14 outbreaks. (file 159268).
The source of the SAT-2 strain and its route of introduction into Iraq is yet to be investigated; rumors' veracity carefully checked. - Mod.AS
ProMED map:
Diyala Governorate, Iraq: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8708397,25543]
