Klaus Depner

Ad hoc method for the assessment on listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law

Abstract The European Commission has requested EFSA to assess animal diseases according to the criteria as laid down in Articles 5, 7, 8 and Annex IV for the purpose of categorisation of diseases in accordance with Article 9 of the Regulation (EU) No 2016/429 (Animal Health Law). This scientific opinion addresses the ad hoc method developed for assessing any animal disease for the listing and categorisation of diseases within the Animal Health Law (AHL) framework. The assessment of individual diseases is addressed in distinct scientific opinions that are published separately. The assessment of Articles 5, 8 and 9 criteria is performed on the basis of the information collected according to Article 7 criteria. For that purpose, Article 7 criteria were structured into parameters and the information was collected at parameter level. The resulting fact sheets on the profile and impact of each disease were compiled by disease scientists. A mapping was developed to identify which parameters from Article 7 were needed to inform each Article 5, 8 and 9 criterion. Specifically, for Articles 5 and 9 criteria, a categorical assessment was performed, by applying an expert judgement procedure, based on the mapped information. The judgement was performed by EFSA Panel experts on Animal Health and Welfare in two rounds, individual and collective judgement. The output of the expert judgement on the criteria of Articles 5 and 9 for each disease is composed by the categorical answer, and for the questions where no consensus was reached, the different supporting views are reported.

African swine fever virus introduction into the EU in 2014: Experience of Latvia

African swine fever (ASF) virus was introduced in Latvia in June 2014. Thirty-two outbreaks in domestic pigs and 217 cases in wild boar were notified in 2014. Twenty-eight outbreaks (87.5%) were primary outbreaks. The contagiosity within pig herds was low. Failure to use simple biosecurity measures to reduce the chance of virus introduction, for example by inadvertent feeding of locally produced virus contaminated fodder were the main causes for the outbreaks in backyard holdings. The infection in wild boar survived locally in two different areas with a low prevalence and a slow spread. The persistence of the infection in wild boar within an area was most probably linked to wild boar scavenging the carcasses of infected wild boar.

Surveillance of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in susceptible wildlife and domestic ungulates in Southeast of Bulgaria following a FMD case in wild boar

Following a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) case of serotype O in wild boar in Southeast of Bulgaria, notified in January 2011 and eleven FMD outbreaks in livestock, a control and eradication plan according to the EU legislation was implemented. Based on the epidemiological considerations a Cordon Sanitaire along the border to Turkey, consisting of a defined infected area (1240 km(2)) and two areas of risk (2160 km(2)) was established. Within these areas a total of 812 wild boar, 68 roe deer, 7 red deer and 2 mouflons, hunted between February 2011 and January 2012, were tested for the presence of FMD. No FMD virus could be detected. Seropositive animals were found in wild boar (6.9%) and roe deer (4.4%), most of them spatially clustered around the FMD outbreaks in livestock, limited within a radius of 20 km. The outbreaks in domestic ungulates were controlled in the framework of EU legislation, including stamping out, standstill and no use of vaccination. All villages within the Cordon Sanitaire were examined for the presence of FMD according to the control and eradication plan. Neither clinical signs nor seroconversion was detected and the region could regain its status of FMD freedom without vaccination. The relatively low seroprevalence and clustered spatial distribution of seropositive wild boar and roe deer suggest that the FMD infection in wildlife was mainly a short living event, which failed to develop into a large scale epidemic.

Proof of principle: non-invasive sampling for early detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus infection in wild boar using a rope-in-a-bait sampling technique.

In this study we describe the use of a rope-in-a-bait sampling method (pSWAB: pathogen sampling wild animals with baits) for non-invasive saliva sampling aimed at the detection of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) viral genome in wild boar. The pSWABs are produced in the form of a standardized product by embedding a 10 cm long cotton rope in a cereal-based bait matrix. To assess the general suitability of this novel sampling technique an animal experiment was conducted to detect FMD viral genome in saliva of infected wild boar. Two juvenile animals were inoculated in the bulb of the heel with a recent wild boar FMD virus isolate and kept together with three noninoculated wild boar of the same age. Over a period of 29 days, the animals were sampled by using five pSWABs per day in addition to the collection of blood and conventional saliva swabs taken every three to four days. Viral RNA in pSWABs was identified already 24 h after infection during the incubation period and until 23 dpi. Comparison of the results of pSWAB sampling with those of conventional saliva swabs or serum samples showed satisfactory sensitivity. These experimental data demonstrate the suitability of non-invasive sampling of wild boar by using pSWABs as a sensitive, cheap and feasible sample collection technique independent of hunting activities. In addition, the use of non-invasive sampling in an appropriate surveillance strategy is discussed.

Experimental infection of wild boar and domestic pigs with a Foot and mouth disease virus strain detected in the southeast of Bulgaria in December of 2010

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) was detected in a wild boar in Southeastern Bulgaria in December 2010. The occurrence and spread of the disease in wild cloven-hoofed animals may pose an unexpected and significant threat to FMD virus (FMDV)-free areas within and outside the European Union. So far, only one well documented experimental infection with FMD in wild boar has been published. In order to obtain more epidemiologically relevant data regarding the disease in wild boar we conducted an experiment with the 2010 Bulgarian FMDV type O isolate. Two young wild boar were challenged while two domestic pigs and two additional wild boar served as contact controls. While the domestic pigs developed severe clinical signs of FMD, the wild boar showed relatively mild course of the disease. Viremia started in contact wild boar 2 days post exposure (DPE) and lasted until 6 DPE. The virus shedding lasted until 9 DPE. On 27 DPE, when the animals were slaughtered, viral RNA was detected in lymphoid tissues and oropharyngeal fluid but no virus could be isolated. Commercial ELISAs and virus neutralisation tests detected antibodies against FMDV on 8 or 6 DPE, respectively. The data of the present study will help to understand FMD in wild boar populations and can be used in models to evaluate the potential role of wild boar in FMD epidemiology.

Inactivation of classical swine fever virus in porcine casing preserved in salt

Pig intestines used for the production of natural sausage casings may carry classical swine fever (CSF) virus. Feeding pigs with human food waste that contains pig casings may then spread the virus to CSF-free animals. Casings derived from a pig experimentally infected with CSF by dosing with 10(6) tissue culture infectious doses (TCID50) of the highly virulent CSF virus strain Koslov, were treated with phosphate supplemented or citrate supplemented NaCl, instead of with NaCl alone, which is the standard preservation treatment for casings. Treated casings were stored for 30 days at either 4 degrees C or 20 degrees C. After storage the casings were fed to 16 susceptible pigs. CSF infection was confirmed in the four animals that had been fed casings treated with citrate supplemented salt and stored at 4 degrees C. All other animals remained healthy. It is therefore possible to avoid the inadvertent spread of CSF virus via porcine sausage casings by treating casings with phosphate supplemented salt and storing them for 30 days at temperatures over 4 degrees C.

Assessing the potential spread and maintenance of foot-and-mouth disease virus infection in wild ungulates: general principles and application to a specific scenario in Thrace

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), due to infection with serotype O virus, occurred in wild boar and within eleven outbreaks in domestic livestock in the south-east of Bulgaria, Thrace region, in 2011. Hence, the issue of the potential for the spread and maintenance of FMD virus (FMDV) infection in a population of wild ungulates became important. This assessment focused on the spread and maintenance of FMDV infection within a hypothetical wild boar and deer population in an environment, which is characterized by a climate transitional between Mediterranean and continental and variable wildlife population densities. The assessment was based on three aspects: (i) a systematic review of the literature focusing on experimental infection studies to identify the parameters describing the duration of FMDV infection in deer and wild boar, as well as observational studies assessing the occurrence of FMDV infection in wild deer and wild boar populations, (ii) prevalence survey data of wild boar and deer in Bulgaria and Turkey and (iii) an epidemiological model, simulating the host-to-host spread of FMDV infections. It is concluded, based on all three aspects, that the wildlife population in Thrace, and so wildlife populations in similar ecological settings, are probably not able to maintain FMD in the long term in the absence of FMDV infection in the domestic host population. However, limited spread of FMDV infection in time and space in the wildlife populations can occur. If there is a continued cross-over of FMDV between domestic and wildlife populations or a higher population density, virus circulation may be prolonged.

Classical Swine Fever in Wild Hog: Report of its Prevalence in Northeast India.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) is the causative agent of a highly contagious disease, hog cholera in pigs. The disease is endemic in many parts of the world and vaccination is the only way to protect the animals from CSFV infection. Wild hogs belong to the species Sus Scrofa Cristatus under the family Suidae are quite susceptible to CSFV infection. The epidemiological role concerning classical swine fever (CSF) in India is largely unknown. We report here the three isolated cases of CSF in wild hogs from three National parks, namely Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and Jaldapara National Park, from north-east part of India. The post-mortem and histopathological findings were clearly indicative for CSFV infection. The presence of CSFV genome was demonstrated in several organs and tissues collected from hogs died due to viral infection. In addition, CSF-specific antibodies were detected in two wild hogs as well as in eighteen feral pigs from the same locations. The phylogenetic analysis of the partial E2 protein gene and 5 untranslated region of CSFV isolates from the wild hog showed identities with genotype 2.2 of the Indian isolates. Occurrence of CSF in wild hogs may pose a potent threat in the epidemiology of the virus in Northeast part of India. To the best of our knowledge, the report presented in the manuscript is the first comprehensive report on CSF in wild hogs form Northeast India. The findings reported would help us to understand the epidemiology and biology of CSFV in wild animals.

Oral vaccination of backyard pigs against classical swine fever.

Vaccination represents a key pillar of most classical swine fever (CSF) control programmes. In backyard production systems the systematic implementation of parenteral vaccination proves to be difficult and alternative delivery mechanisms might be needed. In this study the use of oral vaccination against CSF in backyard pigs was tested under field conditions. The main objective was to assess uptake efficacy and immune response after oral vaccination of backyard pigs with bait vaccine currently used in the European Union for CSF control in wild boar (RIEMSER(®) Schweinepestoralvakzine). In total 85 backyard pigs belonging to 16 holdings were vaccinated orally by distributing four baits per pig, given on two consecutive days. The baits were distributed on pen floors. 73% of the pigs older than 12 weeks (n=41) had protective antibody titres 28 days after oral vaccination. The seroconversion rate in young piglets (n=44, younger than 12 weeks) was 64%. Based on the results obtained we concluded that in an endemic situation where usual control measures (stamping out, zoning with restrictive measures, parenteral vaccination, etc.) may prove to be insufficient, a systematic vaccination based on the use of oral vaccine can be an appropriate tool for an improved CSF control in backyard production systems.

Novel rope-based sampling of classical swine fever shedding in a group of wild boar showing low contagiosity upon experimental infection with a classical swine fever field strain of genotype 2.3

Several classical swine fever (CSF) epidemics in wild boar and domestic pigs in Europe during the last decades have been caused by CSF virus (CSFV) strains of genotype 2.3. This genotype is known to be virulent leading to high morbidity and mortality. We experimentally infected two eight months old wild boar with 10(5,5) TCID50 of CSFV genotype 2.3 and kept the animals together with five noninoculated wild boar of the same age. Our original purpose was to evaluate a non-invasive sampling method based on saliva collection using rope-in-a-bait sampling baits. While expecting high morbidity, high level of virus shedding and some mortality, we actually observed a subclinical course of infection with an unexpected low contagiosity. The two inoculated animals infected only three contact animals while two contact animals remained uninfected. These findings substantially add to our epidemiological understanding of CSFV circulation in wild boar populations. CSFV infected animals older than six months and in good condition may not shed sufficient virus to transmit infection to all seronegative in-contact animals. The contagiosity in relation to the animals age is discussed. This supports the hypothesis of silent perpetuation of CSFV in wild boar populations for several months if the wild boar density is sufficiently high. The feasibility of the rope-in-a-bait sampling method could be proven during the short viraemic phase of infected animals during the second week of infection.