As part of the GF-TADs initiative in Europe, the WOAH office in the region, the FAO Regional Office for Europe, and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) of the European Commission organized an insightful online webinar on 27 January 2025. The session focused on the FMD SAT-2 strain, its circulation, and risk assessment, serving as a key follow-up to the recommendations from the FMD/PPR Roadmap Meeting held in April 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The webinar brought together over 200 professionals from State Veterinary Services, veterinary laboratories, and institutions across 53 European countries. Veterinarians, researchers, and educators actively engaged in discussions, exchanging valuable insights on FMD diagnostics, prevention, and control.
The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), the FAO World Reference Laboratory for FMD, the WOAH Reference Laboratory for FMD, the Pirbright Institute (United Kingdom), and the Federal Centre For Animal Health (FGBI “ARRIAH”) provided technical support. The event was funded through the EU-GRANT.
Opening:
Bernard Van Goethem, President of GF-TADs for Europe opened the webinar by saying that it was planned a long time ago and that the focus was specifically on SAT2. However, there was a recent FMD event in Germany, and although the situation is currently favourable, it serves as a memento to all countries not to lower awareness and preparedness. FMD continues to be the most important animal disease in the European Region. He summarised the points of discussion of the webinar, namely: the risk of SAT 2 FMD strain introduction to Western Europe; the preventive, and control measures against FMD at the European Union level; and the EuFMD activities.
Risk of SAT 2 FMD strain introduction to Western Europe
Dr Donald King, FAO World Reference Laboratory for FMD and WOAH Reference Laboratory for FMD, The Pirbright Institute, UNITED KINGDOM.
The WOAH/FAO FMD Laboratory Network was established in 2004 as a forum to exchange laboratory and epidemiology data, as well as to harmonise and improve the quality of diagnostic testing carried out by international and national FMD laboratories. A key role of the Network is to monitor the spread of viral lineages that are maintained in the seven endemic pools distributed across the world, and continuously review the risks to livestock industries in countries that are free of FMD (with, or without vaccination).
This presentation reviewed the recent incursions of serotype SAT2 viruses into the Middle East and North Africa. FMD cases due to the SAT2/XIV topotype were first detected in Iraq in December 2022 after which outbreaks due to this topotype were detected in Bahrain, Oman, Jordan and Türkiye. Full genome sequences show that these outbreaks are due to multiple parallel incursions of closely related viruses from East Africa. In vitro vaccine matching testing of representative field isolates indicates that two vaccines produced by Boehringer Ingelheim are antigenically matched to field viruses from the SAT2/XIV topotype and a pilot vaccine potency study has been recently conducted using cattle at Pirbright to evaluate the protective responses provided by these two vaccines (SAT2-Eritrea-98 and SAT2-ZIM 7/83). Both vaccines elicited good homologous and heterologous antibody responses, but the levels of protection were lower than expected; findings which may highlight gaps in our knowledge about the immune correlates for the SAT serotypes. In 2023, serotype SAT2 was also detected for the first time in North Africa where an outbreak in Algeria was caused by the SAT2/V topotype. The emergence of SAT2 in North Africa is a significant change of epidemiological status which may substantiate new risks and trans-Saharan connections between North Africa and countries to the south. Escapes of FMDV lineages from East Africa have been previously recorded for types A, O, SAT1, and SAT2 viruses; where recent documented examples include O/EA-3 (2021), A/AFRICA/G-1 (2021) and SAT1/1 (2023).
These unexpected events highlight the ease by which FMDV can cross international boundaries and emphasize the importance of the work undertaken by FMD Reference Laboratories to share the latest information regarding FMD outbreaks.
Measures against FMD at European Union level
Dr Francesco Berlingieri from DG SANTE and Dr Labib Bakkali, Head of EURL for FMD, ANSES France.
The EU presented its horizontal and specific tools for FMD prevention and control, emphasising the Animal Health Law framework, coordinated emergency measures, and the robust infrastructure supporting regionalisation and preparedness. This includes the EU antigen bank, rapid notification systems, and the work of the EURL in ensuring high-quality diagnostic methods, outbreak confirmation, and technical training. The EURL also maintains reference collections, develops and validates new diagnostic methods, and organises annual proficiency tests to support the high performance of National Reference Laboratories across 39 countries. Recent efforts, such as vaccine donations to Türkiye and Georgia for FMD SAT-2, demonstrate the EU’s commitment to mitigating risks both within the Union and globally.
EuFMD activities in Europe and neighbourhood countries
Dr Carsten Pötzsch, European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD).
The mission of EuFMD is to maintain, rapidly regain or achieve freedom from FMD and similar transboundary animal diseases in the member states. To reach the three focus objectives, i.e. protect livestock, respond to crises, improve disease control, a number of activities were implemented in member states and neighbouring countries in recent years. Among these are the Transboundary High-Risk Area Coordinated Epidemio-surveillance (THRACE) programme, which promotes joint, coordinated and harmonised surveillance and early detection of and freedom from FAST diseases (FMD, SPGP, PPR and LSD) in the Thrace region of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
Also, the Statement of Intent (SOI) was first agreed upon in 2016 to improve cooperation on preparedness and control of FAST diseases in the Transcaucasus and neighbouring areas. The objectives are to maintain and improve the outbreak and vaccination reporting system and exchange of risk information (SOI database, FAST report), to implement early warning surveillance, to promote preparedness and control, and to monitor the effectiveness of vaccination (e.g. small-scale immunogenicity studies, vaccine strain recommendations). As an example of EuFMD’s coordinating role in the region, the 2022/23 FMD SAT2 outbreak in the Middle East and Türkiye was described, including the rapid risk assessment which identified informal trade and common grazing as the most likely risk factors for the outbreak.
Circulation of FMD strains in Asian countries in 2021-2024
Dr Viktor Nikiforov Head of FMD Diagnostic laboratory, Federal Centre For Animal Health (FGBI “ARRIAH”): Foot-and-mouth disease virus circulation in Asian countries
Based on the analysis of the number of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Asian countries in 2021-2024, as well as the genetic lines of the foot-and-mouth disease virus that caused the outbreaks, it was determined that in this period the largest number of outbreaks was caused by the virus of serotype O. An increase in the number of outbreaks in 2022 (61,300 foot-and-mouth disease foci were reported) is associated with the widespread spread of the foot-and-mouth disease virus of the genetic lineage O/ME-SA/Ind-2001 in Asian countries, which led to the suspension of the official FMD free status in individual countries.
At the same time, in 2023, the SAT-2 topotype XIV foot-and-mouth disease virus, which is exotic for the region, became widespread, outbreaks caused by this virus were registered in several Asian countries, which led to a revision of the criteria for specific prevention of infection in the region.
In the period from 2021 to 2024, the genetic lines of the foot-and-mouth disease virus O/Ind-2001, O/PanAsia-2, A/Iran-05, Asia-1/Sindh-08 and the topotype XIV SAT-2 virus new to the region were most often identified in Asian countries, which must be taken into account when choosing strains in vaccines for regular preventive vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease.
Closing:
Dr Van-Goethem concluded the meeting by referring to the key points discussed, highlighting the importance of addressing the gaps in knowledge regarding SAT2 vaccine matching and immune responses. He emphasised the need to monitor risk pathways via North Africa, which are potentially linked to increased trans-Saharan connectivity, posing challenges to disease control. The critical role of sharing virus samples to enhance diagnostics and preparedness was underlined, along with the value of targeted initiatives in well-defined high-risk areas, such as TRACE and the EuFMD surveillance programme. Finally, he stressed that maintaining and strengthening cross-border cooperation is essential for the effective management and prevention of FMD outbreaks.
Participants actively posed questions to the experts, and the interactive nature of the event facilitated meaningful exchanges, enhancing the collective understanding of FMD management strategies.
Positive feedback from attendees underscored the webinar’s success, highlighting the high level of expertise shared and the valuable opportunity for cross-border collaboration.
This joint initiative reaffirmed its effectiveness in fostering cooperation among veterinary professionals across diverse regions. By providing a platform for shared learning and expert guidance, GF-TADs continue to play a pivotal role in advancing global efforts to combat transboundary animal diseases.
All presentations from the webinar are available upon request to the email: [email protected]
