Control of Foot & Mouth Diseases

Control of Foot & Mouth Diseases

Progressive Control of Foot & Mouth Disease through vaccine production in Pakistan
Pakistan is endowed with a large livestock population. The national herd (2009-2010) consists of 33.0 m cattle, 29.9 m buffaloes, 27.4 m sheep, 58.3 m goats and 1.0 m camels. Productivity of livestock in Pakistan is generally low. One of the main reasons of low productivity is frequent occurrence of infectious diseases particularly FMD. FMD was reported in animals in pre-partition India and disease has been seen since independence in Pakistan. The disease was usually seen as a mild febrile infection with mild lesions in cattle and buffaloes with a seasonal pattern (usually wheat harvest time or change of weather) up to early 1970s. Now the disease is endemic and wide spread in Pakistan and occurs through out the year. FMD is currently the most common infectious disease of livestock in the country.
 

Participatory Disease Search studies carried out for the confirmation of Rinderpest eradication in 2002-2005 showed wide spread prevalence of FMD in the country. Prevalence rate in different districts of Punjab ranged from 10 to 54 %, in Sindh from 12.1 % to 33.8 %, in NWFP from 19.4 % to 37.3 %, in Balochistan from 2.5 % to 70.0 %, in Azad Jammu & Kashmir 6.6 % to 30.7 % and in Islamabad Capital Territory 25.5 %. Another study reported average prevalence rate of FMD as 25.1 % in Punjab, 24.6 % in Sindh, 18.2 % in NWFP, 17.6 % in Balochistan, 12.3 % in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and 10.2 % in Northern Areas. FMD study in 12 villages of Chichawatni (district Sahiwal) reported higher morbidity and mortality losses in buffaloes and young stock. Morbidity and mortality rates in these villages were 53.2% and 15.3 % in cattle and 61.7% and 20.8 % in buffaloes, respectively.
 

Control of FMD is not only necessary for reducing economic losses due to the disease, but is also vital for increasing livestock productivity. It has direct relationship to the poverty reduction particularly in the rural areas (where poverty is relatively more) as FMD affected animals either do not produce milk or have low production, so directly affecting daily income of the millions of poor and smallholder producers. FMD control can also open up new avenues of export as it is a trans-boundary disease restricting export of livestock products from the country.
 

The development goal of this initiative is to improve livestock productivity through control of FMD for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty particularly in rural areas. The initiative/project specifically addresses the issue of progressive control FMD in the country. The main objectives of the project include:

1. Development and implementation of a national strategy for progressive control of FMD
2. Strengthening of the FMD disease surveillance and diagnosis in the country
3. Availability of a quality FMD vaccine at a reasonable cost through establishment of a modern FMD vaccine production facility
4. Reduction in the prevalence of FMD outbreaks in Pakistan.

Negotiations are in progress for collaboration with Argentina for public private partnership. Argentina has good vaccine production ability and is a leading FMD vaccine manufacturer. A US team of two technical experts based at NVL is also studying current FMD status and would submit its recommendations to American Embassy for funding a project on FMD vaccine production in Pakistan.