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
27 December 2003
3 minute read
(Date of previous outbreak of swine vesicular disease in Portugal
reported to the OIE: September 1995).
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
