Control of foot-and-mouth disease thanks to the national program

The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) epidemic situation in the world is complicated, causing great economic damage. In fact, outbreaks in the UK and South Korea have recorded huge losses of billions of USD. Virus strains causing foot-and-mouth disease tend to spread to other regions instead of being fixed in one area as before.

In Vietnam, the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic has basically been well-controlled thanks to the National Program on epidemic prevention for the period 2021 - 2025.

Mr. Nguyen Van Long, Director of the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that this is the most dangerous infectious disease in animals, greatly affecting economic development.

According to Mr Long, this epidemic has appeared for over 100 years in Vietnam, but the Department of Animal Health assessed the most serious period was from 2016 - 2012. During this period, more than 200,000 cattle were infected with the disease, an average of over 32,000 cattle/year, causing great economic loss to the livestock industry and the State budget.

The national program to prevent and control foot-and-mouth disease for the period 2021 - 2025 is the first program approved and directed for implementation by the Prime Minister.

Leaders of the Department of Animal Health assessed that the Program is important and necessary, demonstrating the attention and specific, timely and detailed direction of the Prime Minister. This is the basis for ministries, branches, localities, businesses and people to effectively implement the prevention and control of foot-and-mouth disease.

“Thanks to this program, recently, the entire political system, from the Central government to the grassroots units, businesses and people, has participated. Since then, we have controlled the FMD epidemic. In 2020, the country had 7,000 cattle infected with FMD, but currently, there are only more than 700 cases left. The number of diseased cattle has decreased almost absolutely by over 90%, including both the scope of the disease as well as the level of intensity", Mr Nguyen Van Long assessed.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious disease that spreads rapidly and strongly. Although it has a low mortality rate. The disease causes several serious consequences such as: reduced weight gain, miscarriage, and reduced milk production. According to livestock farms and their disease prevention experience, we require a vaccine with broad protection against virus strains from other regions.

Sharing his experience in preventing foot-and-mouth disease, Mr Nguyen Hong Ha, owner of Alpha livestock farm (Hung Yen) said that, his livestock facility determines that the most important factor is using the correct vaccine and completely following procedures.

“There are periods when the farm has not chosen a vaccine that ensures high effectiveness, so outbreaks of the disease still happen. At that time, we had to clean the barn to eliminate pathogens in the farm and urgently raise a new herd of sows", Mr. Ha said.

From the perspective of the foot and mouth disease vaccine distributor - Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos, Mr Do Van Loi, Deputy Director of Amavet Veterinary Medicine Trading Joint Stock Company said that the prevention of foot and mouth disease is extremely important. Amavet always focuses on the process of using vaccines to prevent diseases, especially imported vaccines that are highly appreciated by countries around the world.

“We have done research on many partners and chose to distribute products of Biogénesis Bagó Company, Argentina. After many years of bringing this Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine to Vietnam, extensive livestock enterprises have trusted it. This may serve as a long-term vaccine that will later be used to eradicate the foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in Vietnam", Mr Loi shared.

As a consequence, the full implementation of solutions according to the National Program on Epidemic Prevention and Control for the period 2021 - 2025 includes: Ensuring farm biosecurity, quarantine, sanitation, disinfection, assessment of virus strains and appropriate use of vaccines. These solutions will help effectively eliminate foot-and-mouth disease.