A d v ic e Pa p er (08 -20)

NO V E M BE R 2 0 0 8

THE CONTROL OF ANIMAL DISEASES IN EUROPE

Summary
EU: the RSE suggests that the EU Commission change the regulations to permit regions that are Bluetongue-free to be allowed to vaccinate with strain 8 Bluetongue vaccine without declaring themselves Protection Zones instead becoming free of BTV8 with vaccine.This could be applicable to other diseases (e.g. BTV 1,AHS,WNF) where vaccination is a recognised control option.We recommend that the EU Commission continues to review the movement of livestock (and zoo animals) across EU borders and within EU member states in order that animal diseases such as Bluetongue are prevented from impacting upon food production within the EU and across the world.We recommend that in areas free of BTV8 with vaccine, animals can only be imported when shown to be a) vaccinated and b) free from infection. The EU Commission should also be encouraged to fund the development of DIVAVaccines for diseases which are now appearing in Southern Europe. GB: Scotland has the opportunity to adopt a compulsory vaccination scheme which should minimise the impact of Bluetongue disease. The RSE believes that DEFRA in England andWales should similarly adopt a compulsory vaccination scheme to enable GB to become Bluetongue free. Scotland: the Scottish Government should focus more research effort into the pathogenesis and persistence of diseases of livestock, such as Bluetongue. Short-term emergency research projects must be backed up by investment in longer term research programmes.
warming climate on the life cycle of the midges. Bluetongue viruses do not pose a risk to public health. Their impact is economic through loss of productivity and increased trade restrictions, while they also adversely affects animal welfare causing death and clinical signs including oral, respiratory, gastrointestinal and foot lesions among others. The ruminant livestock sector is very important to Scotlands economy and to the sustainability of its rural communities in particular. Figures from 2007 published by the Scottish Government1 show that the total income from farming in Scotland was 628M, with agriculture contributing 0.7% of GrossValue Added to Scotland, higher than in any other part of the UK. The livestock sector and livestock products accounted for 740M (28%) and 300M (11%) of the total gross output for agriculture. Even this underestimates the importance of farming, which crucially underpins the sustainability of the economy, way of life and environment of many rural areas2.

Introduction
1 The Society has been following the rapid spread of Bluetongue disease in Europe with some concern. The spread of the disease has brought important issues to the fore, particularly for countries like Scotland that are currently disease free but share land borders and or trade with countries where the disease occurs. It believes that it is now timely to take stock of current animal disease control measure in Europe, and the potential for vaccination to improve both animal welfare and the economic health of the European livestock industry.

Background
2 Bluetongue disease is an infection of ruminant species caused by a virus of the Orbivirus genus of the Reoviridae family, commonly referred to as bluetongue virus (BTV).The virus is transmitted among animals by biting midges of the Culicoides species. It has hitherto been a tropical disease, and its spread into Europe appears to have been encouraged by the effect of the

1 Scottish Government,Agriculture Facts and Figures 2008 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/06/16141710/0) 2 The Future of Scotlands Hills and Islands, September 2008. (http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/enquiries/hill_and_island_areas/index.htm)

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Figure 1: Distribution of Bluetongue disease restriction zones across Europe

Source: EU Commission

Spread of Bluetongue disease across Europe

4 Bluetongue disease can result from infection by 24 different serotypes of BTV, with the serious outbreak in Northern Europe over recent years and the 2007 incursion into South East England being caused by serotype 8 (BTV8) (See Figure 1). Bluetongue was first described in South Africa but has since been identified in a number of countries in the tropics and sub-tropics3. Since 1999 there have been a number of outbreaks of Bluetongue in Europe, which have been well north and west of its normal distribution. It appears that the virus has spread from both Turkey and North Africa (see Figure 2).

While the risk of Bluetongue disease reaching Scotland is considered low, it is recognised that the disease incidence in England may increase rapidly and that the current Restricted (presence of clinical cases) and Protection Zones will continue to expand in line with the voluntary vaccination programme in England. A close watch is kept on disease developments.Advice on when and where to vaccinate is given to Scottish Ministers by Scotlands ChiefVeterinary Officer in consultation with industry stakeholders and the scientific community.

Control of Bluetongue disease in Scotland

6 Like many other diseases, susceptible animals may be protected by vaccination.Where vaccination against Bluetongue disease is carried out in regions free from disease, the region must be declared a Protection Zone.This regulation was, however, developed when vaccination required the use of a live vaccine, with the consequent risks of infection. Current vaccines now use a dead virus, without these risks.

8 The currently agreed view is that vaccination in Scotland should take place during the next vector-free period and vaccine orders have now been secured by the Scottish Government. The Scottish farming community also strongly supports the introduction of an effective vaccination policy given that there are significant trade implications for the export of unvaccinated, and therefore susceptible, animals into endemic areas, were the majority of Scotlands export market continues to be, even though Scotland remains free of the disease.

3 http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=disease

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Figure 2: Bluetongue virus introductions into Europe

Source: Peter Mertens, Institute for Animal Health; Note: the different colours represent the different serotypes of the Bluetongue virus

From a GB perspective of planning to control livestock diseases, ideally a single strategy for Bluetongue disease control would be designed, as the landmass of England,Wales and Scotland should be treated as single epidemiological unit. At the present time, a compulsory vaccination scheme is considered the optimal method of control, and possibly in future eradication of Bluetongue disease, and Scotland has the opportunity to take this considered approach which should minimise the impact of Bluetongue disease on both the Scottish economy and on the livestock themselves. The RSE believes that the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England and Wales should similarly adopt a compulsory vaccination scheme to enable Great Britain to become Bluetongue free.

vaccinate will, therefore, result in a country losing its Bluetongue disease-free status and becoming a Protection zone, thus allowing movement of animals from other Protection Zones within and between EU Member States and resulting in increased risk of disease incursion.This has a serious consequence for a country, like Scotland, free from the disease and not vaccinating, but neighbouring a country, which may or may not have infected animals at a significant prevalence that has implemented a voluntary vaccination strategy. The risk of infected animals moving into the disease free country is significantly increased, effectively forcing its hand to implement a vaccination policy, which has the perverse effect of easing the movement of potentially infected animals (and the pathogen) into the country, and contributing to its spread across Europe. 11 The RSE believes that it is now very timely to review the European approach to such exotic diseases, partly because of the development of inactivated vaccines since introduction of the current regulations, and partly because of the potential for further exotic diseases, such as BTV1,African Horse Sickness (AHS) and West Nile Fever (WNF), to sweep through Europe, facilitated by climatic and other changes.

EU rules for vaccination and imports

10 The European Commission currently forbids Bluetongue vaccination for BTV8 in a Bluetonguefree country or region, unless that country or region declares itself to be a Protection Zone. Protection Zones, however, allow the movement of animals into that zone from all other Protection Zones with the same serotype across Europe.The decision to

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12 In this new context, not withstanding the economic factors, consideration should be given to strengthening the procedures and changing the regulations in order to further reduce the spread of viral pathogens.An effective way forward would be for the EU Commission to change the regulations to permit regions that are Bluetongue-free to be allowed to vaccinate with strain 8 Bluetongue vaccine without declaring themselves Protection Zones, but instead becoming free of BTV8 with vaccine. In this zone, animals could only be imported when shown to be a) vaccinated and b) free from infection. Not only would this be a sound science- based policy, it would not restrict countries in the new category from exporting to countries in which the disease was endemic. 13 It is important to recognise that these considerations could be applicable to other diseases (e.g. BTV 1, AHS,WNF) where vaccination is a recognised control option.They would be of particular relevance where vaccines are untested in their field efficacy and where marker vaccines are not available, making it difficult to distinguish between infected and vaccinated and vaccinated/infected animals.To minimise spread of any infection, animals moving into the free with vaccine zones would be tested for viraemia and identified using appropriate technologies. 14 We recommend that the EU Commission continues to review the movement of livestock (and zoo animals) across EU borders and within EU member states in order that animal diseases such as Bluetongue are prevented from impacting upon food production within the EU and across the world.This will become increasingly important as Climate Change increases the range of animal diseases to which Europe is subject.

Future research
15 In light of current concerns over food security, the Scottish Government should focus more research effort into the pathogenesis and persistence of diseases of livestock, such as Bluetongue, and in this context, the RSE welcomes the Scottish Governments recently commissioned research projects into better understanding the epidemiology of Bluetongue disease in relation to the midge vector species. There is a dearth of knowledge on disease pathogenesis of BTV8 in temperate countries where animals have not previously been exposed to this virus. It is likely that longer term studies on the susceptibility of different animal species to BTV, the possible persistence of the virus in the host species, and the dynamics of disease transmission will require detailed investigation in the future. Short-term emergency research projects must, however, be backed up by investment in longer term research programmes.The EU Commission should also be encouraged to fund the development of DIVA (Differentiating Infected fromVaccinated Animals) Vaccines for diseases which are now appearing in Southern Europe.

Additional Information
16 Copies of this Statement and others that the RSE has produced, including the RSE Inquiry into Foot and Mouth Disease in Scotland (2002); The Scientific Issues Surrounding the Control of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) in Scotland (2002); and Avian Influenza:An Assessment of the Threat to Scotland (2007), can be requested from the RSE (email: evidenceadvice@royalsoced.org.uk). Responses are also published on the RSE website (www.royalsoced.org.uk).

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotlands National Academy. It is an independent body with a multidisciplinary fellowship of men and women of international standing which makes it uniquely placed to offer informed, independent comment on matters of national interest. The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy, is Scottish Charity No. SC000470
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