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EFSA received a mandate from the European Commission to assess the effectiveness of some of the control measures against diseases included in the Category A list according to Regulation (EU) 2016/429 on transmissible animal diseases (‘Animal Health Law’). This opinion belongs to a series of opinions where these control measures will be assessed, with this opinion covering the assessment of control measures for foot and mouth disease (FMD).
In this opinion, EFSA and the AHAW Panel of experts review the effectiveness of: i) clinical and laboratory sampling procedures, ii) monitoring period and iii) the minimum radius of the protection and surveillance zones, and the minimum length of time the measures should be applied in these zones. Several scenarios for which these control measures had to be assessed were designed and agreed prior to the start of the assessment.
The monitoring period of 21 days was assessed as effective, and it was concluded that the protection and the surveillance zones comprise > 99% of the infections from an affected establishment if transmission occurred. Assuming transmission from an affected establishment occurs, the median probability of FMD transmission beyond the protection zone of 3 km was 4.8%. The median probability of infection of an establishment located beyond 10 km was 0.3%. Nevertheless, transmission to longer distances cannot be excluded if infected animals are moved outside the zones.
Recommendations, provided for each of the scenarios assessed, aim to support the European Commission in the drafting of further pieces of legislation, as well as for plausible ad hoc requests in relation to FMD.
Click here to read the full opinion.
June 8, 2021/ EFSA/ European Union.
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/
