Dr Michael Eschbaumer, virologist, Head of the National Reference Laboratory for Foot-and-Mouth Disease at the FLI (Germany) talks about the importance of the creation of the Laboratory Biorisk Standards for laboratories working with FMD.

Laboratory Biorisk Standards

The occurrence of transboundary animal diseases (TADs) causes serious socio-economic consequences, as it affects productivity, welfare, livelihoods, food security and trade. Communities that mainly depend on livestock are the most vulnerable, and the consequences of TADs may vary within and across countries/areas depending on the disease and its spread, the structure of the livestock sector, the social context and related control strategies. Therefore, it is often difficult to provide systematic estimates of their economic impact. The objective of this study was to develop a tool for the economic evaluation of any TADs affecting ruminants, by adapting and validating the already available tool for swine disease outbreaks, known as OutCosT-Pig.

OUTCOST-RUM, a tool for the evaluation of the economic impact of TADs - Ciaravino

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a transboundary and contagious viral animal disease. It is endemic in several parts of the world. FMD is considered the most economically important and significant endemic viral disease of livestock. Given the genetic diversity of FMD virus (FMDV) and the lack of cross-protection among various viral strains, identification and characterisation of circulating FMDV strain is crucial for effective disease control. So far, the strains of FMDV responsible for outbreaks in Sultanate of Oman remain poorly characterized. In this study, we report for the first time the isolation and molecular characterization of FMDV serotype A topotype G-I circulating in the country between 2018 and 2021.

1st isolation, molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of FMDV A/AFRICA/G1, Sultanate of Oman

Application of trading zones when managing livestock disease outbreaks has the potential to markedly reduce the economic impact of trade restrictions placed on countries. This involves establishing areas within a country, which are considered of negligible risk of transmitting disease through livestock and livestock product shipments to other areas of the country or internationally. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic benefits of trading zones as part of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) control measures for limited duration outbreaks in Australia.

Reducing producer losses in a FMD outbreak through implementing trading zones - G. Garner

Fast response to FAST diseases is key in protecting livestock and livelihoods.  

The GET Prepared Wall is designed to help contingency planners and emergency responders. It contains decision-making tools and templates that enable contingency planners to assess local situations and requirements in advance of an emergency.  

 Learn more and access the Wall on our Trello board. https://trello.com/b/SrsgHKzM/get-prepared-the-wall

The GET Prepared Wall - Zorana Mehmedbasic

The EuFMD Learning team has developed TOM, a capacity development support tool that allows countries to monitor the delivery of competency-based education for veterinarians and similar roles. 

Learn more about TOM with Marcello Nardi, EuFMD Learning Lead, that introduces the new features and functionalities that have been recently integrated.
www.fao.org/eufmd/global-situation/tom-capacity-development-support-tool/en/

TOM - Marcello Nardi

FMD is a highly contagious virus with significant economic repercussions, affecting a wide range of animals, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, and wildlife species. Swift and accurate diagnosis is paramount for effective outbreak management, and that is where our podcast comes in. We explore the challenges of diagnosing FMD, especially when it shares clinical signs with other diseases like Seneca Valley Virus Disease. 

At EuFMD, we're committed to supporting field veterinarians in recognizing FMD symptoms and distinguishing them from similar diseases.

FMD Differential diagnosis - Tiziana Trogu

In this episode, Alex Drouin, an Expert in FAST Risk Management and Modelling Support at the EuFMD, introduces his research on "Rift Valley fever modeling in the Western Mediterranean basin" and the challenges of working with entomological data. The study focuses on the emergence of the Rift Valley fever virus in the Mediterranean region, emphasizing the risk of viral circulation, particularly in the Western Mediterranean basin. The research assesses the vector competence of key mosquito species and employs modeling to assess the spatio-temporal variations in the risk of virus transmission in the region.

Rift Valley fever modeling in the Western Mediterranean basin - Alex Drouin

Carolina Stenfeldt / FAST virology - Session 1

Session 4 FAST vaccine innovations and selection

Amélie Poulard  / FAST vaccine innovation and selection - Session 4

Detection of FMDV Non-Structural Proteins in Slaughtered Ruminants within Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abubakar Ojone Woziri / Epidemiosurveillance - Poster Session

Why the two FMD-free statuses should be treated as equivalent

Patrik Buholzer / Vaccine and vaccination - Poster session

Broad immunogenic spectrum of Biogénesis Bagó FMD vaccines containing O1 campos, A24 cruzeiro, A2001 argentina, ASIA 1 and SAT 2 against circulating viral lineages in cattle

Romina Scian / Vaccine and vaccination - Poster session

Improving Biosecurity at farm and country level through risk-based quantification

Jeroen Dewulf / Emergency preparedness and response - Poster session

Developing movement decision criteria for livestock grazing public lands around FAD control areas through collaboration with industry, state, and federal partners

Julia Herman / Emergency preparedness and response - Poster session

Developing and delivering education and outreach to U.S. beef producers, veterinarians, and transporters about the Secure Beef Supply Plan to further industry preparedness for FMD


Using AI to predict emerging diseases in cattle

Katherine Bidstrup / Emergency preparedness and response - Poster session

Charecterizing selected livestock markets structure in Northern Nigeria and their potential role for transmission of FMD and other TADs

Dana Hisham Aljneibi / Supporting FAST control strategies - Oral session

Impact of cattle-only vaccination tactic for FMD in pastoralist herds in Mongolia

Chris J.M. Bartels / Supporting FAST control strategies - Oral session

Quantitative impacts of preclinical transmission of FMDV in cattle on simulated outbreaks in the United States

Carolina Stenfeldt / Emergency preparedness and response - Oral session

Aphtovac-4 a potent multivalent inactivated vaccine against FMDV serotypes O,A,SAT2 and Asia1 circulating in the Middle East, Far Asia and Africa pools

Mohammed Fawzy Mandour / FAST vaccine innovation and selection / Poster session

Evaluation of safety immunogenicity and stability of MEVAC© PPR vaccine

All about the EUFMDis Centre for Excellence

The EuFMDiS Modeling Centre of excellence

During the “Regional cooperation between Trans Caucasus and neighbouring countries for the prevention and control of FMD and similar Transboundary Animal Diseases” meeting held in Rome at the FAO HQ between the 16th and 17th of September, we spoke with Dr. Tamilla Aliyeva. Our discussion focused on the role of regional collaboration to control FMD and other Transboundary Animal Diseases the expected achievements.
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Dr. Tamilla Aliyeva is an Expert in virology and Veterinary epidemiology, with over 29 years of experience in the leading of laboratory, quality control of veterinary preparations, especially virus vaccines, storage and updating of virus strains, scientific investigations in viruses’ reproduction of animals and birds in different biological systems. She has a strong experience in disease control and management, outbreak epidemiological investigation of infectious diseases, development of National Strategy Plans, Contingency Plans for infectious diseases 
She is currently working as Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Food Safety Institute under the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan Republic  National Consultant for Regional FAO Program «Strengthening  FMD surveillance and control in the Transcaucasian countries to assist progression on the West Eurasia FMD Progressive Control Pathway»

EuFMD

The role of regional collaboration to control FMD and other TADs (Dr. Tamilla Aliyeva)

During the Presentation of the Warwick project on development of the simulation model for FMD control in endemic areas held in Rome at the FAO HQ on November 22nd , 2019, we spoke with Dr Michael Tildesley and Glen Guyver-Fletcher. We discussed  the challenges of developing models for FMD endemic settings.
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Mike Tildesley is an Associate Professor in the Mathematics Institute and the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick. Dr Tildesley works upon the development of mathematical models of livestock and zoonotic infectious disease and their utility as predictive tools. He worked extensively on FMD in the aftermath of the UK 2001 outbreak, developing a model to determine optimal strategies for disease control in the event of future outbreaks. More recently, he has worked on model development in situations where precise demographic and disease incidence data are not available, with a focus on diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, bovine Tuberculosis, rabies and lumpy skin disease. Dr Tildesley works closely with national policy makers and non-government organisations having previously advised the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) upon strategies for disease control.
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Mr. Glen Guyver-Fletcher is a current PhD student working with Dr Mike Tildesley at the University of Warwick. Previously he completed an undergraduate degree in biology and worked as an intern at EuFMD, assisting in the organization of the 2018 Open Session. Currently he is modelling the spread of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Republic of Turkey, in an effort to compare and contrast control measures for the disease.

Challenges of developing models for FMD endemic settings (Dr M. Tildesley and G. Guyver-Fletcher)

During the EuFMDiS advisory group Meeting held in Rome at the FAO HQ in  January 2020, we met Dr. Gabriele Zancanaro from EFSA. We discussed EFSA’s pilot project “SIGMA” and the possible collaboration with our modelling project “EuFMDiS”.  

Dr Zancanaro is a doctor in Veterinary Medicine. He was Head Veterinary Offices of Regione Piemonte: reference for the regional National Plan for Residues and for the Regional Observatory of Anatomo-Pathology (ORAP). He has worked for EFSA since 2008 in the Assessment and Methodological Unit and in the Animal Health and Welfare Team where is also project manager of the “SIGMA” Pilot project.

EFSA and EuFMD: joining efforts to improve animal health (Dr Gabriele Zancanaro)

MODELLING AND PREDICTING NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ANIMAL MOBILITY AFFECTING LIVESTOCK’S DISEASES CIRCULATION. A COMPARISON FROM STUDIES IN NORTH/WEST AFRICA AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA.

We are going to present some of the results from our recent works on animal mobility in 2 contrasted Regions: West Africa and South-East Asia. In both cases we tried to understand what the driving factors are behind observed mobility patterns. Different methodologies where used in the 2 contexts.

 Live animals trade is in most of the West and North African countries one of the main economics activities. In general, the consumption and production areas are several hundred km apart. Due to the absence of infrastructures, animals are sold alive at local markets to traders, and then moved to capital or coastal cities where they are slaughtered and butchered. Because of this, livestock mobility is an intrinsic component of the farming systems in the region, aiming at optimizing the availability of natural resources (grasslands, surface water) which shows a highly seasonal pattern for a given grazing area. Livestock mobility in the region is a complex phenomenon involving several temporal (from days to months) and spatial scales (from a few km to reach local markets, to international transhumance or trade movements). 
The possibility of providing a reliable picture of livestock mobility in the area is hindered by the fact that few quantitative data are collected.
We are presenting the results of the analysis of data provided by Veterinarian services in West and North Africa countries on ruminants' mobility. We used complex network approach to describe mobility patterns and a suite of models (gravity, ERGM) to understand its driving factors of animal mobility. The analysis shows the existence of largest transboundary communities of movement, that could facilitate the spread of the disease in Region. The analysis has shown the existence of 2 important periods for mobility: a routine one, and the period around the religious festivity of Tabaski (during which a young male sheep is slaughtered in each family).  The mobility drivers include environmental factors (conditioning the availability of natural resources), commercial reasons (demand and market price), economical (gdp difference between producer and consumer areas) and social factors like the Tabaski celebration.

Andrea Apolloni, Alexis Delabouglise
Representatives of the AQCR team CIRAD). CIRAD-UMR Astre, France

See the whole paper at www.eufmdvirtual.com

A. Apolloni - Modelling and predicting national and regional animal mobility

K. Absalanfard - Survey on 10years foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Bushehr province, Iran

K. StCharles - Workload schedules, biosecurity practices, and communication preferences of truck

N. Lyons - Economic considerations for advancement through the progressive control pathway

Nadia, Marcello and Leah talk about training

EuFMD learning

A METHODOLOGY TO ESTIMATE INDIRECT COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A POSSIBLE OUTBREAK OF TADs IN SWITZERLAND 

V Muñoz-Gómez1, G. Savioli2,3, B. Vosough Ahmadi4, M. Schuppers1

1 SAFOSO AG, Waldeggstrasse 1, CH-3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland
2 Veterinary Public Health Institute (VPHI), Schwarzenburgstrasse 161, CH-3097 Liebefeld, Switzerland 3 Swiss Armed Forces, Competence Centre for Veterinary Services and Army Animals, Caserne Sand CH-3000 Bern, Switzerland
4 The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy

Introduction
African swine fever (ASF) is a transboundary animal disease associated with high economic, trade and food security relevance. While direct costs of outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases are often well understood, little information is available about indirect and/or consequential costs of control measures. In this study, a spreadsheet model was developed to estimate the indirect consequential costs of ASF in domestic pigs and wild boars, considering different outbreak scenarios in Switzerland.

Materials and methods
First, qualitative interviews were conducted with international stakeholders to identify the sectors that may be indirectly affected by an ASF outbreak and how this impact can be characterized. Various outbreak scenarios in domestic pigs and wild boar were defined, and Swiss stakeholders were interviewed to gather data on the economic impacts in these scenarios. Finally, a cost-calculator model was used to estimate the indirect costs of an ASF outbreak in Switzerland and a decision-tree model was used to analyse various scenarios given incursion probabilities.

Results
Interviews with international stakeholders demonstrated that actors beyond the pig value chain were also indirectly affected by ASF, including, for example, the timber industry, agricultural insurance companies and feed crop producers. Important drivers for indirect costs in Switzerland were consumer demand, slaughter restrictions and biosecurity requirements.

Discussion
The findings demonstrate that the impact of an ASF outbreak will be felt well beyond the pig farms directly affected. Changes in consumer demand will impact the entire pig value chain. Furthermore, certain measures, including biosecurity measures (e.g. compulsory indoor housing) or transport restrictions for healthy pigs may lead to significant indirect consequential costs throughout the value chain. It is crucial for all stakeholders to be informed about the emergency measures that will be taken in an outbreak and their consequences to enable them to prepare for and mitigate their impacts.

G. Savioli - A methodology to estimate indirect costs associated with a possible outbreak of TADs

All about Foot-and-Mouth And Similar Transboundary animal diseases (FAST)! The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD)

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