XI
Symposium of the International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and
Economics,
ABSTRACT
for oral presentation – Theme 6 Global Response – FMD
Title:
Foot and Mouth Disease
: Critical Analysis of Emergency
Preparedness Main Weakness
Author:
Prof.Dr Kouba Vaclav
Foot and mouth disease (FMD)
representing permanent threat to all the countries has caused enormous losses
in spite of well prepared contingency plans. The main problem was their
transfer into field practice where FMD
occurrence and control start and end. Late discovery of primary as well as of
secondary outbreaks delayed anti-FMD measures on the spot and at managerial
levels facilitating further spread reflected in primary-to-secondary outbreaks
ratio values. The contingency plans underestimated key role of field veterinary
personnel in FMD timely discovery. Many plans do not consider that there are
very few veterinarians having personal experience of FMD. The others, mostly
not practically trained, are not prepared for extremely exigent field
investigating and diagnosing under rapidly changing emergency conditions
requiring immediate response on the spot. Undergraduate education and
postgraduate training are usually not sufficient to teach necessary skills for
the identification of : FMD suspect, diseased,
threatened and free animals and herds, first affected animals, the best samples for laboratory
investigations, outbreaks and perifocal areas limits, virus sources and
transmission ways as well as effective measures at infected premises. Useful
FMD simulation exercises are mainly for managerial personnel and not also for
field working veterinarians. Unprepared veterinary service staff has proved to
be the main weakness of anti-FMD emergency preparedness. The paper ends with
methodology for practical field FMD simulation exercises based on the principle
„learning by doing“.