Dear Colleagues,
Please allow me to combine my comments on several issues into one
posting to save time.
There can be no doubt that if one could only vaccinate all small
ruminants at the same time that PPR would quickly be eliminated just as
it would if we were able to stop all livestock movements. But is this
realistic? In my opinion, one of the most important lessons we learnt
from the global rinderpest eradication programme was that in the real
world with human and other resource constraints, institutionalised mass
vaccination is not an effective tool to eliminate infection from a
population. Such a practice is excessively expensive and soon runs out
of steam because it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep up
motivation and the momentum. The end result, as others have said or
hinted at, is that we risk achieving only a moderate level of herd
immunity which will not only fail to eliminate the virus but can help to
sustain long term virus transmission. I feel strongly that to be
effective vaccination must be intensively applied and focussed by
epidemiological information based on effective surveillance. Vaccination
should be limited to populations in which the virus is transmitting and
areas at high risk of introduction and transmission. I agree with Dr
Muhammad Afzhal and to a degree with Dr William Taylor but would stress
the need for strengthening surveillance to provide for epidemiological
clarification and assist with focussing. This can provide for
considerable savings in the costs of control and enhance its efficacy.
For me "living with the disease" is an untenable option given the severe
socio-economic impact and the disease,s inexorable spread. Certainly
public money should not be wasted on ill-conceived control programmes
which will ultimately fail. Rather it is our duty as veterinarians
involved in the control of diseases which impact so severely on rural
economies, food security and people's livelihoods, to use our skills to
design cost-effective and affordable control programmes leading to
eradication. There is a tendency to keep revisiting the negative side of
issues in discussion and this risks alienating uncommitted donors. Why
can't we be more positive? Eradication of PPR is in my opinion feasible
and given adequate support is likely to be achievable within a decade or
so if we are committed to the goal and truly take on board the lessons
learnt from rinderpest eradication. We do understand sufficient of PPR
epidemiology to initiate a progressive control programme, we do have the
tools (control strategies, diagnostic tools, vaccines etc.) to get
started and perhaps even finish the job as we did in the case of
rinderpest for which we never had DIVA tests and recombinant vaccines.
Of course these and other refinements could help, especially in the
later stages of an eradication programme, but they are not
pre-requisites for getting started.
Another issued raised, I think by the moderator, was what is needed to
get started. Again our experience from rinderpest, which I believe is
relevant here, is that an international mechanism is needed to take the
lead, to promote and sustain commitment to a global eradication
programme and to bring together national programmes and regional
resources into a coordinated global effort. Collaboration between FAO
and OIE, working closely with donors, was of great value in the
eradication of rinderpest and I can conceive of no alternative to
developing a similar partnership to take on PPR. Who else can provide
the international connections to align all the stakeholders to do so?
Prof Peter Roeder OBE, PhD, FRCVS, MSc, BVetMed
Independent Veterinary Consultant, UK
On 11/02/2014 06:24, Muhammad Afzal wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> I believe the vaccination should be done widely and thoroughly as
> suggested by Dr. Bill Taylor. Half hearted approach will not work. But
> with vaccination, surveillance for clinical outbreaks have to be
> strengthened and each outbreak should traced both backward and
> forward. Movement control and Ring vaccination in case of outbreaks
> should also be ensured.
>
> Dr. M. Afzal, D.V.M. M.Sc.(UAF), Ph.D.(USA)
>
> Project Coordinator (GCP/PAK/127/USA)
>
> Progressive Control of Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in Pakistan
>
> FAO Pakistan Office, Park Road
>
> Islamabad
>
> Phone: 051-9255890 Fax: 051-9255891 Cell:
> 0346-8544161
>
> *From:*Establishment of a PPR Global Research and Expertise Network
> (PPR-GREN) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of
> *Paul Rossiter
> *Sent:* Monday, February 10, 2014 12:16 AM
> *To:* [log in to unmask]
> *Subject:* Another Good Question; this time from Drs Taylor and Kivaria.
>
> Dear Colleagues,
>
> Dr Bill Taylor, who is very well known to most of us, made a striking
> challenge in his contribution. He suggested that unless we use vaccine
> sufficiently widely and thoroughly to stop transmission of the virus
> in its endemic heartlands (moderator's summary) then we are simply
> going to help virus perpetuation. Therefore, _"why waste public
> resources vaccinating?"_ The idea received support from Dr Kivaria
> who went even further to say that perhaps we should just live with the
> disease. I wonder how many of us think the same?
>
> Would some of you like to comment on Dr Taylor's and Dr Kivaria's
> suggestions giving us feedback on how you see public finances being
> used to bring about serious "progressive control" or whether this
> disease could just be left to itself and to the the private sector.
>
> In a way the topic leads to the basic question of why do we want to
> eradicate PPR? We all assume this has been answered but has it? Some
> reasons have been put forward in a few contributions to the conference
> but are they enough to convince policy and decision makers and those
> who hold the purse strings?
>
> With regards - moderator.
>
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