Disease Information

6 April 2001
Vol. 14 - No. 14

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN FRANCE
Follow-up report No. 3

See also: 30 March 2001, 23 March 2001, 16 March 2001

Translation of an extract from an e-mail received on 3 April 2001 from Dr Isabelle Chmitelin, Deputy Director General, General Directorate for Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Paris:

End of previous report period: 28 March 2001 (see Disease Information, 14 [13], 70, dated 30 March 2001).

End of this report period: 3 April 2001.

Control measures and serological survey:

a) Animals epidemiologically linked with the United Kingdom (correction):

To date, 49,227 animals (corresponding to 104 farms distributed in 37 departments) have been euthanised, i.e. 20,621 sheep and 1 pig, all originating from the United Kingdom, as well as 27,507 contact sheep, 537 contact cattle, 364 pigs and 197 contact goats.

To date, 5,076 blood samples have been collected, 5,048 of which (corresponding to 172 farms) tested negative by ELISA⁽¹⁾.

b) Animals epidemiologically linked with the Netherlands (correction):

To date, 4,391 animals (corresponding to 12 farms distributed in 10 departments) were euthanised, i.e. 131 cattle, 1,817 pigs and 505 small ruminants all originating from the Netherlands, as well as 451 cattle and 1,487 contact small ruminants.

Blood samples collected from these animals are being tested at the AFSSA⁽²⁾. The preliminary results gave 253 negative tests.

c) Animals epidemiologically linked with the outbreak in Seine-et-Marne:

A total of 1,232 sheep epidemiologically linked with the outbreak in Seine-et-Marne were pre-emptively culled.

Lifting of sanitary measures:

Taking into account the favourable development of the health status of France in regard to foot and mouth disease and in accordance with the decision approved by the Standing Veterinary Committee of the European Union when it met on 27 March 2001, the European Commission has confirmed the partial lifting of the embargo on untreated animal products and products of animal origin (meat, milk and by-products) with effect from 3 April 2001, at 0 hour. Seine-et-Marne, Val-d'Oise and Seine-Saint-Denis are the only departments still affected by restrictions on trade in untreated products.

(1) ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

(2) AFSSA: French Agency for Food Safety.

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