See also: 5 September 2003 , 30 May 2003, 2 August 2002, 14 June 2002, 7 June 2002

Translation of information received on 5 and 9 September 2003 from Dr Jorge Nestor Amaya, President, National Agrifood Health and Quality Service (SENASA), Secretariat for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Buenos Aires:

End of previous report period: 4 September 2003 (see Disease Information, 16 [36], 201, dated 5 September 2003).

End of this report period: 9 September 2003.

Nature of diagnosis: laboratory.

Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 28 August 2003.

Estimated date of first infection: at least 30 days before the initial detection of the animal health incident.

Outbreaks:

Description of affected population in the outbreak: various categories of pigs, showing signs of malnutrition, lameness and limb lesions.

Total number of animals in the outbreak:

Diagnosis:

A. Laboratory where diagnosis was made: Central Laboratory of SENASA.

B. Diagnostic tests used:

- VIAA⁽¹⁾ (detection of antibodies to structural and non structural proteins of FMD virus);

- Typing ELISA⁽²⁾;

- virus isolation.

C. Causal agent: foot and mouth disease virus type O.

Epidemiology:

A. Source of agent / origin of infection: investigations are under way.

B. Mode of spread: investigations are under way.

C. Other epidemiological details:

- Establishment located near a municipal abattoir, 10 km from the town of Tartagal and 40 km from the border with Bolivia.

- Zone characterised by a low livestock density, mainly with subsistence producers, and no production link with other regions.

- 3 bovines, 21 pigs and 12 sheep/goats in contact with the animals in the outbreak were destroyed.

Control measures during reporting period:

- quarantine and movement control inside the country;

- vaccination;

- stamping out;

- zoning.

(1) VIAA: virus infection associated antigen.

(2) ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Following the isolation of foot and mouth disease virus in samples collected from pigs in the Salta province of Argentina, the status of "FMD free zone with vaccination" of the zone of Argentina situated north of the 42nd parallel is suspended with effect from 4 September 2003.