News and Updates
OIE declares Brazil FMD free- are we ready to take lessons from it?
Pashu Sandesh, 11th June 2018
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) declares Brazil Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free with vaccination on 24th May 2018, thus opening new markets for the beef export for Brazil. It may be big news for Brazil who is the biggest exporter of beef and with the FMD free recognition it can enter certain big markets such as China. Why this news is important for India? Are we ready to take any lessons from it? That’s the biggest question.
FMD is a highly contagious disease resulting in fever, mouth ulcers and foot ruptures in cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and other cloven hoofed ruminants. The disease is often fatal to animals but rarely may it affect the humans. Disease free status is given in two categories: FMD free with vaccination and FMD free without vaccination. Brazil is been declared FMD free with vaccination category.
Foot and Mouth Disease Control Program (FMD CP) in India was initiated in 2004 by the government (DAHD&F) in 54 districts of the country governing 9 states and 1 union territory (A&N islands). As per the government statistics, vaccination was 100% and done twice a year with trivalent (O, A and Asia1) vaccine. Serum samples of 10 cattle and 10 buffalo before vaccination and 21 to 30 days post vaccination were collected and screened for level of type specific neutralizing antibodies by Liquid Phase Blocking ELISA(LPB ELISA) developed by the central FMD laboratory before launch of the FMD CP in the country. The reagents and training to conduct post vaccination monitoring is provided by the Central FMD Laboratory, Mukteswar.
Despite so much effort and expenditure, why our FMDCP program is not succeeding? The objective of eliminating foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Brazil has been mainly motivated by the constant preoccupation of Brazilian authorities, livestock breeders and the meat industry with avoiding economic losses due to export restrictions. In India although we talk about elimination of the disease, there is something lacking which not allowing our plans to succeed. Is it lack of political motivation? Or use of substandard Vaccine? Or it’s simply the manipulation of the data linked with fulfillment of targets on the papers only?
Whatever may be the reason for the FMDCP program not achieving the desired results, lessons are to be taken from the FMD program of Brazil otherwise, we would be denied of the global competition in the multibillion dollar meat export industry.
