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According to information received on 24/11/2011 from Dr Hugo Federico Idoyaga Benitez about the situation of foot and mouth disease, movement control and disinfection of vehicles at emergency checkpoints are still being applied whereas movement restrictions on animals, animal products and by-products in and out of the emergency zone continue to be applied. Surveillance is ongoing in the emergency zone and consists of visits to the farms with interviews to the farmers and visual inspection of the herd.
Movement restrictions out of the emergency zone for any purpose (slaughter, fattening, breeding) are applied on animals susceptible to FMD and consists of individual clinical inspections.
Seroepidemiological surveillance has been completed in the zone around the outbreak and the surveillance zone; all samples collected have been tested, including the additional investigations. According to the negative results obtained by ELISA 3ABC and viral isolation on the oesophageal-pharyngeal fluid as well as to clinical surveillance, viral circulation in livestock farms is ruled out.
PANAFTOSA sent on 28 October 2011 the results of the tests conducted on an epithelial sample and on 13 serum samples. The 13 serum samples were reactive to the complex ELISA 3ABC / EITB. The vesicular epithelium sample was processed for virus isolation in cell culture and typing by ELISA and PCR confirmed serotype O of the FMD virus. The results of the investigations on immunological coverage (vaccine matching) through the determination of the expected percentage of protection of the vaccine strain O1 Campos against the field strain O1/San Pedro/PAR/11 (277) using liquid-phase blocking ELISA indicate that herds under a systematic vaccination program using proven quality vaccines containing strain O1 Campos would be protected against the field strain tested.
The results obtained in the phylogenetic analysis of strain O1/San Pedro/PAR/11 (277) indicate that the strain tested is endogenous in the region and belongs to the Euro-South American topotype. The highest homology (87% - 95%) was found with strains present in the Southern Cone in the period 2000-2006. The isolate shows a divergence of 17.9% with the prototype strain O1 Campos Br/58.
On 2 November 2011, the OIE Reference Laboratory, Pirbright, United Kingdom, sent the results of tests performed on the samples sent by the SENACSA for the FMD outbreak in San Pedro confirming the serotype O of FMD virus. The results of phylogenetic analysis of the strain O/PAR/1/2011 indicate that it belongs to the Euro-South American topotype and has a highest similarity with strains in the region between 2000 and 2006.
At the end of the depopulation of the affected farm, sentinel animals susceptible to FMD were introduced, 10 cattle less than one year old free from antibodies and 8 pigs with similar immune status. Sentinelisation will be approved and will continue according to the results of monitoring and to the clinical and epidemiological aspects. Sentinelisation will finish once completed two incubation periods of FMD (28 days) with negative results for FMD. If any case of FMD is observed in the sentinel animals, they will be all slaughtered and the procedure will begin again. This will be reported immediately.
A contention zone has been established and a strategic vaccination against FMD will be carried out from 21 November to 21 December 2011 in the geographical area of San Pedro Department within the following boundaries: to the north, Ypane River, to the south, Jejui River, to the east, Road III- Gral. Elizardo, to the west, Paraguay River. All cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats present in this geographical area will be identified individually.
Thursday November 24, 2011/ OIE.
http://www.oie.int
