Disease Information

18 May 2001
Vol. 14 - No. 20

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE IN FRANCE
Follow-up report No. 7 (lifting of all the protection and surveillance zones)

See also: 4 May 2001, 13 April 2001, 13 April 2001, 6 April 2001, 30 March 2001, 23 March 2001, 16 March 2001

Translation of an e-mail received on 17 May 2001 from Dr Isabelle Chmitelin, Deputy Director General, General Directorate for Food, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Paris:

End of previous report period: 30 April 2001 (see Disease Information, 14 [18], 107, dated 4 May 2001).

End of this report period: 16 May 2001.

All the protection and surveillance zones established around the two outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) that occurred in France on 13 March and 23 March 2001, respectively, have been lifted.

I. Outbreak No. 1, in Mayenne department:

A. Protection zone (3-km-radius around the outbreak)

This zone included the outbreak itself (114 cattle) and 112 establishments with cattle, 19 establishments with sheep and 4 establishments with pigs in Mayenne department.

Cleaning and disinfection operations in the infected establishment were completed on 23 March.

The 135 establishments were visited and the animals present were clinically examined (323 visits). No clinical signs suggestive of FMD were detected.

In the 19 establishments with sheep, samples were taken from all the animals for serological testing (196 samples taken). All the results were negative.

As a result, the protection zone was lifted on 7 April.

B. Surveillance zone (10-km-radius around the outbreak)

This zone covered:

- in Mayenne department, 254 establishments with cattle, 82 establishments with sheep and/or goats and 11 establishments with pigs;

- in Orne department, 232 establishments with cattle, 36 establishments with sheep and/or goats, 9 establishments with pigs and 1 establishment with cervids.

The herds/flocks in the protection zone were visited and the animals clinically examined, with favourable results (831 visits carried out).

In addition, blood samples were taken in all flocks of sheep and goats in the zone between 17 and 20 April, i.e. 936 samples in the 118 establishments in the surveillance zone. The results of the tests were all negative.

As a result, the surveillance zone was lifted on 23 April 2001.

II. Outbreak No. 2, in Seine-et-Marne department:

A. Protection zone (3-km-radius around the outbreak)

This zone included the outbreak itself (119 cattle, 147 sheep and 10 pigs) and 3 establishments with sheep and 1 establishment with cattle.

Cleaning and disinfection operations in the infected establishment were completed on 6 April.

The 4 establishments were visited and the animals present were clinically examined (6 visits were carried out). No clinical signs suggestive of FMD were detected.

In the 3 establishments with sheep, samples were taken from all the animals for serological testing (32 samples were taken). All the results were negative.

As a result, the protection zone was lifted on 21 April 2001.

B. Surveillance zone (10-km-radius around the outbreak)

This zone covered:

- in Seine-et-Marne department, 7 establishments with cattle, 31 establishments with sheep and/or goats and 5 establishments with pigs;

- in Seine-Saint-Denis department, 1 establishment with cattle and sheep and 4 establishments with sheep;

- in Val-d'Oise department, 1 establishment with cattle and sheep and 2 establishments with pigs.

The herds/flocks in the protection zone were visited and the animals present were clinically examined, with favourable results (212 visits were carried out).

In addition, blood samples were taken in all flocks of sheep and goats in the zone between 20 and 30 April, i.e. 631 samples in 37 establishments (including 2 mixed herds of cattle and sheep in which only the sheep were sampled) in the surveillance zone. The results of the tests were all negative.

As a result, the surveillance zone was lifted on 6 May 2001.

*
* *