Published Date: 2018-07-30 11:03:03
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Foot & mouth disease - Mongolia (03): st O, spread, control, alert
Archive Number: 20180730.5936203
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - MONGOLIA (03): SEROTYPE O, SPREAD, CONTROL, ALERT
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Date: Mon 30 Jul 2018
Source: Peak News, Ministry of Food and Agriculture report [in Mongolian, machine trans., summ., edited]
http://www.peak.mn/news/tanilts-malchin-tanii-khuleekh-uureg-khariutslaga
As of 16 Jul 2018, the spread of foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] has been put on halt in 3 soums [districts] of Arkhangai aimag [province] and 3 soums of Uvurkhangai aimag. A quarantine and restriction regime is being implemented. Vaccinations of 1 148 094 livestock in 1904 households in these soums have been applied; the vaccination is continuing. Experts believe that the FMD outbreaks are caused by human and animal migration and movements. Therefore, there is need for strict performance of the legislations addressing animal health, responsibilities of herders and veterinarians, and prevention of FMD.
Livestock is a national treasure. The health of animals is a guarantee of public health, so it is important for herders and livestock owners to maintain their animals healthy.
The Parliament passed a Law on Animal Health on 8 Dec 2017; its implementation took effect on 1 Jun 2018. The law aims to protect the health of animals and ensure the safety and hygiene requirements of their products, to protect public health and to promote trade liberalization. The Parliament and the Government are behind the decided policy of animal disease prevention.
Therefore, the law provides for general and specific measures to prevent animal diseases. General measures include hygiene, sanitation, transportation, and relocation if/when necessary. Special measures include planning and prevention of disease by epidemiological studies and laboratory tests on infectious diseases, and planning and performance of emergency immunizations. It is assumed that we can safeguard animals from any illness based on all preventive measures.
Infectious diseases must be reported the earliest when appearing and immediately addressed with the prescribed measures. The urgent response should aim at the establishment of a disease-free zone, while a quarantine regime is enforced. The law provides a number of important regulations; the veterinary services have become more robust, responsible, and controlled by the introduction of a new veterinary service protection system into a new stage. A General Veterinary Department was established with a uniform system of veterinary departments in aimags, the capital, and soums.
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Date: Tue 17 Jul 2018
Source: Eagle News [in Mongolian, machine trans., summ., edited]
http://eagle.mn/r/47641
In order to facilitate and enhance the control and prevention of foot-and-mouth disease's further spread in Ulaanbaatar [UB], an order was issued to intensify the required measures. [10 specified locations] in UB have been designated as checkpoints to undertake disinfection, surveillance, and monitoring activities, 24/7 ("24 hours shifts"). [The report includes a photograph of a checkpoint in operation].
Mongolia's deputy Prime Minister is in charge of the implementation by the district governors and relevant officials, of the resolution concerning "Infectious Disease Prevention Plan" to prevent the spread of the virus by unpermitted movements of humans, animals, or vehicles.
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[The 2 media reports above, derived from Mongolia's local media, confirm and complement ProMED-mail's recent information on FMD, serotype O, spreading westwards in Mongolia (see archive no. 20180728.5933467).
This situation is of grave concern, locally and regionally.
Arkhangai (Arhangay) and its southern neighbour, Uvurkhangai (Ovorhangay), the 2 most recent infected imags (provinces), rate quantitatively high among Mongolia's provinces in terms of the size of their livestock populations. Combined, the 2 provinces include about 800 000 cattle and 5.1 million sheep out of Mongolia's total of 4 and 28 million, respectively, in a national total of 21 provinces (OIE's 2016 figures). Several of the other provinces which so far have remained, unvaccinated, include also relatively large livestock populations, such as Khuvsgul (Hovsgol, 437 000, 2.5 million), Tuv (Tov, 416 000, 2.5 million), Bulgan (300 000, 1.86 million), Khovd (Hovd, 188 000, 1.27 million), and Bayankhongor (Bayanhongor, 214 000, 1.2 million). See map at https://tinyurl.com/y7xbem2r).
Mongolia is one of several countries which have notified the OIE about their ambition to obtain the status of FMD-freedom, in order to become recognised as meat exporters, accepted globally. Such candidate countries had to submit to the OIE their respective FMD control programmes; 6 of them were eventually recognised, during the recent (May 2018) general session of the OIE, as having the status of "Member Countries with endorsed official control programme for FMD, according to the provisions of Chapter 8.8. of the Terrestrial Code, Edition 2017." These 6 member countries are China PR, Mongolia, Namibia, India, Morocco, and Thailand (Resolution No. 23, 86th General Session of World Assembly, May 2018).
The publication of a new veterinary legislation in Mongolia, as briefly described in item 1 above, was one of the actions conditional to an FMD control programme being endorsed.
For the detailed requirements to obtain the status of "OIE endorsed official control programme for FMD", please visit OIE's terrestrial Code, Article 8.8.39, at http://www.oie.int/index.php?id=169&L=0&htmfile=chapitre_fmd.htm.
The current FMD situation is rather challenging for the national veterinary authorities and, indeed, for the entire national animal industry from farm to chilling plants, the Ministry of Agriculture, and other ministries. In addition to severe animal movement restrictions and other zoo-sanitary measures as described from Ulaanbaatar (item 2 above and archive no. 20180728.5933467), one of the possible modes of action to be considered is the establishment of a sanitary cordon of vaccinated animal populations (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs), western and northern to the infected region.
Hopefully, the needed budget and all other provisions, including sufficient quantities of a matching vaccines and manpower to inject the vaccine afield, will become available the earliest to the national and local veterinary services, before further FMD spread to the remaining provinces.
OIE's global map presenting OIE Members' official FMD status map (last update July 2018) is available at
http://www.oie.int/en/animal-health-in-the-world/official-disease-status/fmd/en-fmd-carte/.
Of note, the status of Mongolia's neighbors Russia ("suspension of FMD free status") and Kazakhstan (in 2 recognized zones: north and west, "recognised as free from FMD without vaccination"; east and south, "recognised as free from FMD with vaccination"), as presented in the map above. Further spread of FMD westwards and northwards in Mongolia, will be of concern to Kazakhstan and Russia.
From a reliable source we have noted that the application of modified stamping out has been discontinued, mainly because of budgetary constraints. - Mod.AS
HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of Mongolia: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/1]
