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Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development
CARD Project Technical Report
Development of an Improved Capability in support of
National Bio-security for the Surveillance and Control of
Foot & Mouth Disease in Cattle and Pigs
Milestone 6
Epidemiological and sero-surveillance programs operational
By
Debbie Eagles & Chris Morrissy
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Table of Contents
1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 1
2. Project Abstract_________________________________________________________ 3
3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 3
4. Introduction & Background _____________________________________________ 4
5. Epidemiological and Sero-surveillance programs ____________________________ 4
5.1 Implementation Highlights ________________________________________________ 4
5.2 Capacity Building _______________________________________________________ 36
5.3 Publicity _______________________________________________________________ 36
6. Implementation & Sustainability Issues ___________________________________ 37
6.1 Issues and Constraints ___________________________________________________ 37
6.2 Options________________________________________________________________ 37
6.3 Sustainability___________________________________________________________ 37
7. Next Critical Steps ____________________________________________________ 38
8. Conclusion __________________________________________________________ 39
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1. Institute Information
Project Name
Vietnamese Institution Regional Animal Health Centre, Ho
Chi Minh City (RAHO - 6 ), South
Vietnam.
Vietnamese Project Team Leader Dr. Dong Manh Hoa
Australian Organisation Australian Animal Health Laboratory
(AAHL), PMB 24, Geelong, 3213,
Australia
Australian Personnel Mr Chris Morrissy
Date commenced 01/06/2005
Completion date (original) 01/06/2008
Completion date (revised)
Reporting period
Contact Officer(s)
In Australia: Team Leader
Name: Mr Chris Morrissy Telephone: +61 3 5227 5000
Position: Diagnostic Virologist
Supervisor Mammalian Virology
Fax: +61 3 5227 5555
Organisation Australian Animal Health
Laboratory (AAHL), PMB 24,
Geelong, 3213,
Australia
Email: chris.morrissy@csiro.au
In Australia: Administrative contact
Name: Mr Chris Morrissy Telephone: +61 3 5227 5000
Position: Patents Contracts Officer Fax: +61 3 5227 5555
Organisation Australian Animal Health
Laboratory (AAHL), PMB
24, Geelong, 3213,
Australia
Email: christopher.morrissy@csiro.au
In Vietnam
Name: Dr. Dong Manh Hoa Telephone: + 84 8 8568220
Position: Director Fax: + 84 8 8569050
Organisation Regional Animal Health Centre,
Ho Chi Minh City (RAHO - 6 ),
South Vietnam.
Email: rahchcmc@hcm.vnn.vn
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2. Project Abstract
The project’s purpose was twofold - to develop capacity for FMD (and other disease)
surveillance and diagnosis at both a laboratory and field level, and to investigate the
serotypes of FMDV circulating in Vietnam and the reason for vaccine failures. Regional
laboratories were set up with the reagents and methods to allow a diagnostic capability for
FMDV diagnosis and serology. Control strategies for understanding of FMD epidemiology
have been implemented through veterinary and laboratory training workshops. The project
has highlighted the importance of having a laboratory network to identify what is happening
in the field and how to prevent and control disease outbreaks. The pilot zones were
established in provinces near the borders of Vietnam to study serotypes circulating in
Vietnam and to determine their origin. The number and quality of samples increased with
each round of the project giving more data on the FMD situation in Vietnam. Virus isolation
and molecular studies can now be carried out on FMD samples from the field and molecular
epidemiological studies of the FMDV isolates in these provinces has provided insights into
the effectiveness of border control and origin of circulating FMDV. Improved diagnostic
capacity for FMD allows for the early detection and identification of disease enabling better
control of disease and helps reduce loss of livestock and therefore increases productivity.
3. Executive Summary
The CARD FMD project was ambitious in that it had 2 very broad and diverse aims. The first
objective was capacity building – at the laboratory, epidemiological and field levels. The
second major aim was to investigate possible causes of vaccination failure by evaluating
isolates of circulating strains and sero-surveillance data.
The project was very successful at achieving its objective in relation to capacity building. As
documented in the final report, the four collaborating Vietnamese laboratories improved their
FMD diagnostic capacity and have been able to apply their new skills to disease
investigations and surveillance projects.
In addition, there have been important and measurable improvements in both epidemiological
and field areas. When this project began there was no epidemiology department at any of the
laboratories. There is now a fully functional epidemiology department, with 3 full-time staff,
at RAHO – 6. This group has been instrumental in supporting this and other international
projects and has provided advice and training to field and provincial veterinarians. They have
also been crucial to investigation of disease outbreaks such as HPAI and PRRS, particularly
in southern Vietnam.
Through implementation of this project one of the lessons learnt has been the importance of
complete and accurate field information. Whereas the laboratories were already accustomed
to recording results, the recording of information such as vaccination and infection data in
the field was not commonplace. Data collection and management has improved dramatically
throughout the project. The only downside of this is that data quantity and quality for the
initial rounds is difficult to analyze for the purpose of investigation of vaccine failure. In
addition to this the accuracy of some of the data is questionable, as is discussed throughout
this report.
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With the laboratory and epidemiological capacity now available in the collaborating
laboratories, particularly HCMC, there is now the potential for a smaller, more focused study
on vaccination failure. This would be best limited to a smaller number of provinces in
southern Vietnam, with a study protocol aimed specifically at investigating vaccination
effectiveness.
4. Introduction & Background
Serum samples and information were initially to be collected from 10 provinces – An Giang,
Binh Phuoc, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Kom Tum, Lang Son, Long An, Quang Nam, Quang
Ninh and Tay Ninh. No samples were ever collected from Lang Son. Samples were also only
collected intermittently from the other northern province in the project, Quang Ninh. The
central provinces of Kom Tum and Quang Nam provided samples for all but the 3rd round.
In the southern provinces samples were not available from Long An in the final round and
An Giang did not provide pig samples in round 1, 5 or 6. The epidemiological support and
interest at RAHO - 6 is almost certainly a contributing factor to the better provision of
samples from the southern provinces. A combination of fewer specialized staff in the
northern provinces and laboratories and the required allocation of resources to outbreak
response is likely to have reduced their ability to collect samples. NCVD did not have a
epidemiology section.
In 2005, the field data collection and the use of forms was not well developed. As a result,
for most provinces the only information collected was species, sampling location
(district/commune/village) and in some instances vaccination information, sampling date and
animal age.
In 2006 the data collection form was further developed and standardised with the following
fields – district, commune, village, species, age, sex, sampling date, vaccination date, vaccine
name/manufacturer/serotypes, last date of infection, last serotype of infection and field
sample number. This form improved data collection dramatically although not all fields were
completed in every round for each province.
5. Epidemiological and Sero-surveillance programs
5.1 Implementation Highlights
Analysis by Province
The analysis for the information in each province is divided into cattle and pigs. For each
species there are tabular results and a graph followed by a description of the results for each
round. The graph only displays information for rounds and serotypes for which animals have
been vaccinated ≤ 6 months prior to sampling.