Australian veterinarians and stock handlers trained in FMD recognition and response in Nepal

Sam Hamilton, Principal Veterinary Officer, Foot-and-Mouth Disease Taskforce, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; and Kat Ferme, Senior Policy Officer Animal Health and Welfare, Sheepmeat Council of Australia

Early detection of a potential foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Australia, particularly in high-density livestock areas, is vital to limit the spread of infection and minimise the potential animal health, social and economic impacts of the disease. If FMD is detected, it is important to age the lesions to establish the likely date of FMD introduction and the onset of infectiousness in a flock or herd for contact tracing, and to determine the most appropriate diagnostic tests to use. However, many Australian veterinarians and stock handlers have never seen FMD, because the last outbreak in Australia occurred more than 140years ago. Consequently, to improve Australias ability to detect and respond to a potential outbreak of FMD, the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has commissioned the European Commission for the Control of FMD (EuFMD) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to deliver training courses for Australians to gain practical experience in: identifying and ageing lesions diagnostic sampling assessing risk factors for the transmission of infection between farms conducting outbreak investigations using rapid diagnostic tests. Industry and government departments that are committed to improving Australias FMD preparedness sponsor Australian participants to attend the training courses. Participants have been selected on the basis of their potential involvement in an FMD outbreak. Many are private or government veterinarians or stock handlers, who will be at the forefront of detecting the disease. A smaller number of participants are epidemiologists and policy officers who are currently involved in increasing Australias ability to respond to a potential outbreak. The first two courses, involving 20Australian veterinarians and stock handlers, and 10Nepalese veterinarians, were held in Nepal in December 2012. Additional courses are planned for Nepal and South-East Asia in 2013. Participants conducted clinical and epidemiological investigations of two different FMD outbreaks in Kathmandu Valley, and saw a range of clinical signs of disease, ranging from pyrexia and depression through to vesicular lesions and ulceration in the oral cavity and on the teats and feet (Figure1). An additional benefit of the courses is capacity building in the host country. Government veterinarians from Nepal participated in each training course and provided valuable local insight. At the end of each course, participants provided a verbal and written report on their epidemiological and disease investigations, which included suggestions for diseasemanagement.

On their return to Australia, participants are required to share what they have learnt to improve awareness of FMD among veterinarians, farmers, industry groups and other stakeholders.

Vesicles on the tongue of a goat

Excoriation on the dental pad of a cow

Vesicles on the teat of a cow

Ulcerated lesion in the interdigital space of a cow with extensive fibrin

Photos courtesy of Karin Morgan, Victorian Department of PrimaryIndustries

Figure1 Foot-and-mouth disease lesions

Acknowledgments We thank the Nepalese Department of Livestock Services for providing logistical and laboratory support for thecourses. Further information on FMD
Animal Health Australia (2012). AUSVETPLAN disease strategy: Footand-mouth disease, version 3.3. Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan, edition 3, Standing Council on Primary Industries, Canberra, www. animalhealthaustralia.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/FMD-19FINAL29Oct12.pdf, accessed 7January 2013. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (2005). Foot and mouth disease ageing of lesions, DEFRA, London, archive. defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/fmd/documents/ ageing-lesions.pdf, accessed 7January 2013. European Commission for the Control of FMD (2013). Training material, webpage, EuFMD, www.fao.org/ag/againfo/commissions/eufmd/ commissions/eufmd-home/eufmd-in-action/training-material/en, accessed 7January 2013.

Animal Health Surveillance Volume 17 Issue 4