Novel Countermeasures to Support the Surveillance and Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Uganda

1. Novel Countermeasures to Support the Surveillance and Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Uganda Frank Mwiine1, John David Kabasa1, Peninah Nsamba1, Anna Rose Ademun,2 Julius Lutwama3, Leslie Lobel4, Victoria Yavelsky4, Francois Maree5 and Elizabeth Reider6 1Makerere University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resource and Biosecurity (COVAB) , 2Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries(MAAIF), Uganda Government, 3Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRL), Entebbe, 4Department of Virology & Developmental Genetics, Ben Gurion University, Israel, 5Agricultural Research Council- Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), South Africa, 6Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit- ARS-USDA at Plum Island Animal Disease Center USA Introduction Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious and economically devastating disease of cattle endemic in Africa. In Uganda where agriculture is an economic resource for about 80% of the population, FMD is a constraint to both cattle health as well as the marketing of livestock and their products. Control of this disease will increase food security and alleviate poverty by increasing trading options possibly to an international level. Currently the FMD serotypes prevalent in Uganda are: A,O, SAT1 SAT2 and SAT3. There is little known about the epidemiology of FMD in Uganda. Hence there is a need to improve surveillance, detection of FMD, characterization of virus strains and vaccine matching in order to select and develop appropriate vaccines. Economic losses caused by foot-and-mouth disease (a) (b) Clinical signs of FMD in cattle. Ulceration in the mouth (a) and in the inter digital cleft in the hoof (b) http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/commissions/docs/training/manual/Training-Manual_Kenya.pdf • 1Loss at farm level • Reduced milk production / mastitis • Reduced weight gain in Beef animals • Loss of draught animal power • Death especially in young animals • 2 Loss at District /National level • Loss of sale of livestock, animal products like milk, hides/skins both locally and internationally Objective Collaborating Institutions  Surveillance of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Uganda Characterizing the FMD virus circulating locally is the initial step in the control of the disease Institutions are working under the umbrella of the Global Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Alliance:  Makerere University: College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Resources and Biosecurity  Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries – Uganda Government  Uganda Virus Research Institute  Agriculture Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute –South Africa  Ben Gurion University - Israel  ARS- USDA Serotyping Project Agreement No: 58-1949-1-157F Vaccine matching Genetic characterization • Expected Outputs • Development of strain-specific and affordable diagnostic kits for locally circulating strains of FMD • Development of improved vaccines that properly match FMD virus strains in Uganda Expected Goals Epidemiology of FMD together with novel vaccines will enable progressive control of foot – and- mouth disease in Uganda