Mongolia Reports FMD Under Control
MONGOLIA - No new reports of foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have been recorded since mid-November 2010.
20 January 2011
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The authorities sent Follow Up Report No. 7 dated 19 January to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The report is described as a final report as there have been no outbreaks of FMD since the previous report dated 24 November 2010.
According to the report, the source of infections was unknown or inconclusive.
The Government of Mongolia fully controlled movement of animals and animal products in the country, quarantine, screening, modified stamping out and vaccination in response to the outbreaks. A total of 25,914 livestock have been destroyed, out of which 17,230 in Sukhbaatar province, 7,390 in Dornod province, 191 in Khentii province, 1,030 in Tuv province and 73 in Govisumber province (100 per cent culling of infected livestock).
There is considerable local concern about the potential role of Mongolian gazelles (Procapra gutturosa) in the disease transmission.
In total, 917 gazelles with clinical signs of FMD as illness, lameness, and chest and foot lesions were observed. These 917 gazelles were hunted and carcasses were disinfected and buried. These animals were severely affected and unable to maintain contact with the herd or survive the illness. Slaughter of these may be regarded as having a welfare purpose. The diagnostic was confirmed by the OIE Reference Laboratory, the Pirbright Laboratory (United Kingdom). The National State Central Veterinary Laboratory submitted four samples to the Pirbright Laboratory. Two serological samples from gazelles showed negative results by ELISA and PCR tests on 25 November 2010. But two samples from gazelle epithelium were infected with FMD virus by PCR and O serotyping was confirmed by cell culture/ELISA test on 25 November 2010. Furthermore, 688 carcasses of gazelles died for unknown reasons were collected and destroyed along with the above mentioned 917 sick gazelles.
