Swine Vesicular Disease in Portugal
PORTUGAL - This is a report via OIE on the recent Swine Vesicular Disease outbreak in the Beira Litoral region of Portugal
Emergency report
Translation of information received on 23 December 2003 from Dr Carlos Agrela Pinheiro, Director General of Veterinary Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Lisbon:
Date of the report: 23 December 2003.
Nature of diagnosis: clinical, post-mortem and laboratory.
Date of initial detection of animal health incident: 17 December 2003.
Date of confirmation of diagnosis: 22 December 2003.
Outbreaks:
Location | No. of outbreaks |
Chãs locality, Regueira de Pontes parish, Leiria district, Beira Litoral region | 1 farm |
Total number of animals in the outbreak:
species | susceptible | cases | deaths | destroyed | slaughtered |
sui | 1,754* | 12 | 0 | 1,754* | 0 |
* 832 piglets, 773 fattening pigs, 147 sows and 2 boars.
Diagnosis:
A. Laboratories where diagnosis was made:
- National Veterinary Research Laboratory (LNIV(1)).
- Pirbright Laboratory, United Kingdom (OIE Reference Laboratory for swine vesicular disease).
B. Diagnostic tests used:
- ELISA(2) (on 22 December): negative results.
- RT-PCR(3) (on 22 December): positive results.
- Virus isolation (on 23 December): positive results.
Epidemiology:
A. Source of agent / origin of infection: unknown. Investigations under way.
B. Mode of spread: direct/indirect contact.
C. Other epidemiological details: no pigs left this holding during the 30-day period prior to detection of clinical signs.
Control measures: control measures laid down in Directive 92/119/EEC of the Council of the European Communities, “introducing general Community measures for the control of certain animal diseases and specific measures relating to swine vesicular disease“, are applied.
- The holding was placed under restriction on 17 December 2003.
- Stamping out began on 19 December.
- A 3-km-radius protection zone and a 10-km surveillance zone were set up.
- There is a complete standstill of pigs in all pig holdings located within the protection and surveillance zones (see table below).
Number of pig farms | Number of pigs | |
3-km-radius protection zone | 144 | 62,874 |
10-km surveillance zone | 202 | 64,108 |
Total | 346 | 126,982 |
- Cleaning and disinfection of vehicles transporting pigs stepped up throughout the whole country.
- Any consignment of pigs will be serologically tested for swine vesicular disease before dispatch from Portugal (there is very limited trade in live pigs from Portugal).
(1) LNIV: Laboratório Nacional de Investigação Veterinária
(2) ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(3) RT-PCR: reverse transcriptase - polymerase chain reaction
Further Informaton
Information on Swine Vesicular DiseaseSource: OFFICE INTERNATIONAL DES EPIZOOTIES - 26th December 2003