Dear Paul, respected colleagues,

while I think progressive control of a number of sheep diseases, including PPR, would be a very positive move, I have my doubts about trying to do everything at once. The project could quickly become so large that funding would become impossible, and getting agreement on which diseases should be added to the programme would probably be very difficult. There is also the problem that an official OIE programme of registering states as free from these various diseases would possibly be necessary, and there is already resistance to having too many diseases on this list. I would suggest that it is probably better to make it clear that “improved laboratory and veterinary services and vaccine supplies for small ruminant care” is an essential tool that has to be in place for PPR control, so this whole infrastructure is properly built up, not as a dedicated PPR control network, but as a small ruminant disease network with a special interest (just now) in PPR. In this way we would leverage the current interest in PPR to improve our understanding of small ruminant care/farming, and could use the educational programmes that have already been discussed to encourage livestock keepers to report other diseases and also to vaccinate against them.

As/when we get the experimental testing of combined vaccines, hopefully they can be introduced, and we can talk as happily about “BSP” vaccine (Brucellosis/SGP/PPR) as we do about MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella).

regards,
Michael



Michael D Baron PhD
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From: Establishment of a PPR Global Research and Expertise Network (PPR-GREN) [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Rossiter
Sent: 27 February 2014 16:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: From the moderator: session 4: do we want progressive control of other diseases or just control?

Dear Colleagues,

We have almost reached the last day of week four and the last day of sessions 3 and 4. We have had some inputs for session three “sub-themes for PPR-GREN” and a lot of interest in session 4 “Network to be inclusive or exclusive of other small ruminant diseases?”   Without exception all who have contributed to session 4 have been in favour of providing a broad, inclusive package of small ruminant health control rather than just PPR control alone.

Quite a wide range of diseases have been suggested for control along with PPR but, to me, these fall into two categories. The first are the diseases that have a local or regional importance – in a regional basket as Dr Chris Daborn put it. For instance, the control of RVF may be periodically important in Africa, but not in most of the Middle East and definitely not (yet) in Asia. Dr Afzal has raised the importance of enterotoxaemia in Pakistan. And there are more.  But these are diseases that we cannot at present consider for eradication- that we cannot engage with in a progressive control programme leading to elimination of the infectious agent.  In contrast PPR is eradicable – that is why we are discussing how to set up PPR-GREN to support a global strategy for the elimination of this virus following a process of progressive control.   As mentioned above small ruminant pox and small ruminant brucellosis have been highlighted by several contributors as the two diseases that are most appropriate to consider, along with PPR, in a programme designed to improve small ruminant health. Now, to me, these are diseases that are also eradicable.  Are we as a conference agreeing that this is what we want to see happen; that progressive control programmes with a view to eradication be developed for SGP and brucellosis along with PPR?   This is a serious matter because if we choose to follow this path it will mean that these two diseases are much more than just members of a regional basket. It will mean that all infected and at-risk countries will have to join in and engage with these diseases with a view to eradication. You cannot opt out just because it isn’t a big problem. It will mean that the OIE-FAO GF-TADS Strategy for progressive control of PPR will have to take on the task of developing strategies for progressive control of SGP and Brucella. We may need to learn more about these diseases and it will mean extra work and effort but it will also offer potentially much greater rewards if all these diseases can be eradicated economically within one programme.
Could we please have some feedback on whether you think SGP and Brucella (are there others too?) should be targeted for global eradication or not, and if so, whether you would agree to add another main theme to PPR-GREN which would be “Theme 5: Progressive control of SGP and Brucella”. If you don't agree with this suggestion then please suggest how you think these diseases should be targeted along with our proposed progressive pathway for PPR?
Regards,
Moderator

PS -At the start of session 4 I think I said that I would send again to everyone Dr David Ward's contribution on brucella. I forgot, but it is on the list site on 17th February and important because it shows what might be achieved with this disease.

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