The FAO claimed today that Europe can consider itself almost free from the extremely contagious foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), after centuries of devastating epidemics that have caused tremendous losses.
However, the organisation, which made the announcement to mark the 50th anniversary of the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Dublin/Ireland, called upon European countries to remain vigilant against possible outbreaks and to continue their support to neighbouring regions where the virus is still endemic.
The FMD virus is relatively stable in chilled products and can be transmitted through the - often illegal - movement of animals, animal products or meat. Cattle, buffaloes, pigs, sheep, goats and deer are susceptible to the virus.The risk of introducing the virus through illegal trade remains high, the UN agency warned.
"Europe has made remarkable progress against FMD over the last decades. Today, out of the 33 member countries of the Commission, 31 countries are free from FMD, while the virus remains endemic in Turkey and Israel," said Keith Sumption, Secretary of the Commission.
The last major FMD outbreak occurred in 2001, when a devastating epidemic affected the UK, with outbreaks also in Ireland, France and the Netherlands. A total of four million animals were slaughtered in the UK to control the spread of the disease. Losses to agriculture and tourism amounted to about $13 billion. The virus was probably imported from East or South-East Asia through animal products.
"The last major outbreak in western Europe shows that the threat to FMD-free countries in Europe continues to exist," Sumption said. FMD remains endemic with a high prevalence in many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and parts of South America. Europe, North and Central America, the South Pacific region and the Caribbean are free of the disease. While the Commission previously focused on control and cooperation within Europe, the focus has now shifted to supporting countries in neighbouring regions to improve disease control and contributing to the global efforts against the disease.
The Commission supports surveillance and control campaigns in the Caucasus and in Turkey, and assists member countries in preparations for potential outbreaks. The body also acts as an early warning system on the regional and global FMD situation.
"While the European Commission in Brussels takes the role of harmonising the efforts against FMD among EU countries, the FMD Commission is mainly active in neighbouring countries so as to reduce the risk of disease incursion into the EU," Sumption said.
The Commission, which works closely with the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE), has a financing agreement of $2.5 million with the EC-Commission over the last 3 years for its emergency activities.