Seventh Meeting of the Lower Mekong Working Group on Foot and Mouth Disease Zoning and Animal Movement Management
(Pakse, Laos, 6-7 November 2008)
The meeting was attended by 30 people including two representatives each from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, the expert of regional reference laboratory for FMD in Southeast Asia (Pakchong, Thailand), observers from collaborating international organisations, Murdoch University PhD students and organisers: OIE Asia-Pacific and sub-regional coordination unit for Southeast Asia (OIE-RCU/SEAFMD).
The main objectives of this workshop are to further refine the strategy to progress the Lower Mekong initiative on the establishment of FMD control zones in the border of the southern part of Cambodia and Viet Nam, the southern part of Laos and Region 2 in Thailand; to focus on better understanding of the epidemiology of FMD in the zone; strengthening of disease surveillance systems; better animal movement management; and a more vigorous public awareness campaign.
Dr Akemi Kamakawa, OIE Deputy Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, and Dr Gardner Murray, President of the Sub-Commission for FMD Control in Southeast Asia and Regional Commission for Asia, the Far East and Oceania gave opening remarks, together with Mr Somsanit Bouttivong, Vice Governor of Champasak province and Mr Pachit Noraseng, Deputy Director General of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Livestock and Fisheries, Champasak province.
The meeting was chaired by Drs Murray and Ronello Abila, and composed of the reports by OIE RCU/SEAFMD, partner organisations, country progress reports, working group discussions by subjects such as on vaccination; livestock movement; reporting systems; strategy review and communications, and the wrap-ups. Dr Kamakawa reported the recent activities of OIE Asia-Pacific.
The followings are some points noted during the Meeting:
- Increase of outbreaks of FMD in Cambodia. Recent outbreaks in northern Laos and Thailand.
- Discrepancy between WAHID outbreak map and country report.
- Needs of outbreak information even under endemic situation.
- Lack of vaccine for outbreak control (ring vaccination) in Cambodia and Laos. Difficulties of stamping-out. Importance of animal movement control and its enforcement, and communication to the farmers and traders as supplemental tools.
- Discussion on compulsory vaccination for movement of the animals especially between borders.
- Needs of harmonization/information exchange among countries for animal identification, and probably the cross-border certification as the next step.
- Progress of surveillance in Thailand, and Vietnam through Australian CARD project.
- Remarkable progress in the competence of Veterinary Services of Vietnam in the past 5 years for disease prevention and control, such as initiating a role as a sub-regional vaccine bank and improvements of diagnostic capacities in the regional laboratories.