INFORMATION
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* Suspected: FMD
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Fri 4 Feb 2011
Source: Vientiane Times [edited]
About 200 cow and buffalo calves in Aed district, Houaphan province,
have died after contracting a mouth infection, according to local
officials yesterday [3 Feb 2011]. "The animals that died were aged
between 1 and 6 months," an official from the provincial Livestock and
Fisheries Sector, Mr Phuangsavath Phommasy, told Vientiane Times
during a telephone interview.
According to a laboratory investigation into the cause of death, the
animals did not die from foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] or as a result
of the recent cold weather but from a mouth infection [see comment
below]. Animals from 9 villages in Aed district have been infected
with the disease. The district is located in the north of Laos and
shares a border with Viet Nam.
Locals said the disease had broken out in Viet Nam prior to its
appearance in Houaphan at the end of November [2010], Mr Phuangsavath
said. The disease quickly spread after people threw infected carcasses
into rivers, he observed. When it started appearing in Aed district,
provincial authorities took immediate action to contain the disease
and prevent any further outbreaks.
"We are required to closely monitor the transport and trading of pigs
or pork and pork products at the Lao-Vietnamese border and seize and
destroy pigs of unclear origin," he said.
In 9 communities along the border, pig farms, vehicle tyres, markets,
and slaughterhouses have been disinfected and pig herds vaccinated.
Officials are also campaigning to raise awareness about the disease
and are warning people not to eat animals that have fallen ill or died
from it. Villagers have also been advised to bury carcasses to prevent
the disease spreading and becoming an epidemic.
If anyone comes across a case of the mouth infection they should
report it immediately to the provincial livestock and fisheries sector
via their local village office.
No new cases of infection have been reported recently but some deaths
are still occurring among animals already infected, Mr Phuangsavath
said.
For the next few months, provincial authorities are required to
monitor the situation closely in Aed district to ensure the outbreak
is permanently eradicated.
[Byline: Khonesavanh Latsaphao]
--
Communicated by:
Sabine Zentis
Castleview Pedigree English Longhorns
Gut Laach
52385 Nideggen
Germany
[[This is rather blurred information:
1. What laboratory test excluded FMD?
2. What is the meaning of "mouth infection" which, apparently,
replaced the initially suspected FMD, in 1-6 month old calves? (In
young calves, FMD is generally expected to primarily cause
pancarditis, clinically manifested by sudden deaths).
3. Is this a bacterial infection? Otherwise?
4. How does the "mouth infection" cause mortality: by interfering
with the feeding of the animals, causing starvation/dehydration?
Otherwise?
5. Allegedly, "the disease quickly spread after people threw infected
carcasses into rivers." Were these calves' carcasses, or -- in view of
the alleged involvement of a pig health problem (see further) -
carcasses of pigs?
6. The newswire includes information on a pig health problem,
apparently related to the "mouth infection" in calves. For example
(excerpts):
- "We are required to closely monitor the transport and trading of
pigs or pork and pork products at the Lao-Vietnamese border and seize
and destroy pigs of unclear origin."
- "In 9 communities along the border, pig farms, vehicle tyres,
markets, and slaughterhouses have been disinfected and pig herds
vaccinated."
The reported disinfection of pig farms, vehicle tyres, markets and
slaughterhouses, and the vaccination of pigs, brings to mind FMD,
which is indeed common to pigs and cattle.
Since FMD is known to have recently spread throughout Viet Nam, most
probably due to serotype O, clearer information from Laos, including
clarification of the points above, is anticipated (see Viet Nam's data
at
Previous undiagnosed mortalities in Laotian cattle were attributed to
several causes, including hemorrhagic septicaemia. - Mod.AS
2 more quaestions: What vaccine is being given to the pigs? And if
they know what vaccine is necessary to protect the pigs, why aren't
they vaccinating the cattle? - Mod.JW
A map showing the location of Houaphan province in northeastern Laos
can be seen at
The HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Laos is available at
[see also:
2010
----
Porcine reprod. & resp. syndrome - Laos: (VT) OIE 20100708.2278
Undiagnosed deaths, bovine - Laos: (VI) RFI 20100114.0168
2009
----
Undiagnosed die-off, bovine - Laos: RFI 20090526.1961
Foot & mouth disease, bovine - Laos: (BL) RFI 20090304.0877
2008
----
Foot & mouth disease - Laos: (Luangnamtha), OIE 20081115.3603]
.................................................arn/ejp/mj/jw
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