I. New activities of the veterinary services
The new Computerized Cattle Movement System has been fully applied together with the follow-up from the slaughter houses reports. No cattle movement is possible without getting a permit for such action. In the permit details of the ear-tag and origin as well as detination are given. Additional system has been made in which permits of sheep and goats movement are handed and enables a follow-up.
II. Comments on specific List A diseases
Foot and Mouth Disease: -FMD struck Israel this year between January and February in 5 localities in two main focuses, one the lower Galilee and the other in Beer-Tuvia district. The disease origin was, most probably, from the West Bank in the Palestinian Authorities where FMD was diagnosed in many cases there. The previous case of FMD in Israel was in the year 1999. The disease was reported then in 18 localities, and involved morbidity of 340 bovines, 337 sheep and 171 goats. After that year Israel gained 4 years without any case, even though FMD was reported in the West Bank in 2003 and in 2002. This year the amount of vaccination was slightly lower than in 2002. A thorough epidemiological investigation revealed that a truck had transported cattle to the West Bank, and returned from there without performing any disinfection. All the farms that were struck by FMD were those in which the truck had visited there after. Due to the strict movement restrictions in a radius of 10 km of those infected focuses, the disease disappeared within three months. On the whole, the main damage due to the disease in 2004 was caused by the 3 weeks of strict farm animals movement restrictions, and in the infected farms the 6 month in which cattle were allowed to leave the premises only for slaughter.
The policy of the Israeli Veterinary Services is to vaccinated the whole bovine population annually, 3 months and older, from September through February of the next year, with a trivalent vaccine ( O1, A22, asia1). A booster is given to calves under the age of 18 months 2-8 weeks after the first one. Calves born after the winter vaccination campaign are vaccinated at the age of 3 months in the summer. The vaccination campaign includes sheep and goats population vaccinated with a monovalent vaccine (O) without a booster as done for bovines.
Sheep pox- In the present year a reduction in the impact of the disease was observed among sheep when compared to the previous year. This year the disease was notified in 4 localities compared to 9 in 2003. This year out of 1688 sheep and lambs exposed to sheep pox, 111 (6.5%) cases were observed, and death or slaughter of 42.
The Veterinary Services are trying to convince the owners in the necessity of compulsory pox vaccination to all lambs just after birth, especially in infected farms in which the lambs are exposed. Efforts are continued to find a new potent vaccine. Maybe all those cases are due to smuggling of sheep or through vehicles not properly disinfected after transporting sheep in the West Bank.
Studying an epidemiological follow-up, it appears that the disease returns periodically. Many incidences are registered when it reappears, followed with several years of low incidence rate. In 1994-1995 the disease was unnoticed, and since 1998 until 2003, 9-17 localities were infected yearly. Maybe we are in the beginning of a decline in the infection rate the next following years in sheep. Indeed, in the last year 152 cases were registered (4% less than this year) in exposed herds, but the mortality rate in the 2 previous years were high.
Peste des petits ruminants- The disease was diagnosed this year only in one goat farm in Nazareth district in which only one kid died. Annual compulsory vaccination of all sheep herds may have contributed to the constant yearly decline in number of outbreaks until the only single light incidence this year. In the previous year the disease was confirmed in 4 outbreaks compared to none in 2002 and 10 outbreaks in sheep in 2001 from March till October. The mortality rate was in the year 2003 almost 66% (45 from 68 sick sheep). In 2001 the disease was also harsh and almost 60% died (110 from 178 infected sheep). In Israel sheep are vaccinated with rinderpest vaccine and due to the world eradication campaign against rinderpest- the attention was drawn to the fact that PPR could infect latently cattle and produce antibodies similar to rinderpest. Rinderpest appeared in Israel in 1983 and was immediately eradicated. One considers to vaccinate with a PPR vaccine when it will be possible to differentiate between a vaccine and a naturally infection in cattle or sheep.
Bluetongue- Since the disease was noticed in Israel for the first time in 1951, 5 sero-types of the virus were diagnosed in Israel. Those are 2, 4, 6, 10 and 16. serotype 4 is the most common.
The disease was absent this year.
Although all forecasts expected a vast outbreak in the previous year, because of heavy rains, temperate winter, together with the increase in colicoides trapped, only one bluetongue outbreak was registered. One must bear in mind that for clinical signs to appear, the virus must be virulent, and in high concentration in the fly. The BT infection season in Israel is in July December period with the peak in October -November months. In 2002 no incidence of the disease was registered, and only light clinical cases were noticed in 2001 when 7 localities were hit, and the death of only one lamb. The disease was absent in Israel in 1998-2000.
One must not forget that the BT has caused much damage in Europe in 2001. In Israel one does not notice the disease in cattle for many years. The Arava district stays clean from the cause of the disease for many years.
III. Comments on specific List B diseases
Rabies; After Israel was blessed with only a very few cases in 2001 (6 cases) of the disease, due to rabies oral vaccination, in the following years 2002-2003 one has witnessed a sharp rise. This year the disease was diagnosed in 21 localities (28 cases). This is almost a reduction in half compared to 2003 with 46 localities (69) and 44 localities (64) in the year 2002. In the present year, rabies continued to strike in the Center region of Israel until it was decided to vaccinate also in the West Bank. Therefore most of the cases were observed until May with 16 cases. Also during the period 2002-2003 it became clear that in areas in which oral vaccination was not practiced, the disease broke out most severely and endangered farm animals. The West Bank, where the vaccination was not enforced, harbored the source for the spilling over of the disease to adjacent areas. It is obvious that oral vaccination in narrow coast strips and small enclaves in the South did not form a barrier against infiltration of the disease.
Oral vaccination is performed since 1999, when in 1998 only field trials were conducted. In 1998 the oral rabies vaccine was distributed in Carmiel area of 480 km, with a follow- up of tests results.
The purpose of the oral vaccination was to vaccinate the target population, and in the case of Israel, the fox population. One hopes to reach through the rabies baits a vaccination rate high enough to break the infecting circle and the disease spread. Because of the nature of fast multiplication and mortality in the fox the population, each half a year one faces a large new young population unvaccinated and exposed to rabies, which is above the raft, enabling a new outbreak of the disease if the oral vaccination baits distribution is not renewed.
Infectious agalactia (mycoplasma agalctia) has severely struck 5 dairy sheep farms (localities) and 7 dairy goat farms. There is no efficient treatment against this bacterium and those which recover remain carriers of the bacteria. There are cases in which the bacterium is isolated from the milk prior to an outbreak. In such a case, when a clinical outbreak occurs, it spreads in a large scale through the herd. There are cases in which a sheep recovers and returns to a good milk production, but remains a carrier and spreads the disease. Todays policy is to eradicate the disease by culling the reactors or/and creating a core of clean sheep. Another possibility is to isolate the lambs directly after birth giving them pasteurized colostrums and raise them way apart from the main herd. The lamb breeders must avoid entering the infected pen.
Anthrax- In July this year the disease was identified in the South in Lachish area. A previous case of anthrax was registered here in Israel in October 1999. Immediately after identifying the disease the whole herd was vaccinated, but the mortality continued because the cows were in incubation period. Therefore it was decided to treat the herd with antibiotics, even though such act neutralizes the vaccine (based on life spores). The antibiotic treatment was started 5 days after the vaccination and continued with 3 daily treatments and the fourths with one-day interval. The death and anthrax cases ceased, and the cows were revaccinated again 6 days after treatment termination. In total 16 cows died in which one of them belonged to another herd of the owner. Spores of the bacterium were not isolated from samples collected from the surrounding. Studying cases from the past have brought up an assumption that anthrax appears along the banks of the water streams. Before this outbreak the disease was not registered since 1996. a trend of disease reduction was already noticed in the years 1993-1995. In that period the disease was not noticed. After an outbreak it is customary to vaccinate that herd for 10 years, and therefore in the last years about 2,000 cattle and 100 sheep are vaccinated annually.
Para-tuberculosis- A decision was made to create a Para-tuberculosis free club of diary cattle farms. This effort, together with the uniting of cowherds has given rise to the number of Para-tuberculosis tests. As a result the number of diagnosed localities has declined from 71 localities last year, to 60 this year. After the request to join the Para-tuberculosis free club has been approved, the first herd screening is performed in order to analyze the herds status. One who wants to join the club must commit himself to fulfill the whole clubs plan (purchasing, management, etc.). In the testing period periodical laboratory tests are conducted for culling purposes, clinical observations and management control. When a herd is accepted to the club the local District Veterinary Office is notified.
Para tuberculosis has been confirmed during the years in 278 localities (cattle and sheep). The disease is spread almost homogeneously through the whole country. Seven of the farms that had joined the club are uninfected, and 14 others are with low infectivity. A primarily survey is performed after an application for joining the club has been handed. The purpose of such a survey is to define the cowshed condition (risk assessment). Those that join the club are committed to fulfill the plans requirements (purchasing, selling etc.). In the exploring period before accepting those farms wishing joining the club, periodic test are performed to cull infected cows, and management practice together with clinical symptoms are checked. When a farm is accepted to the para tuberculosis free club, a notice is send to his regional veterinary office.
Brucellosis in sheep and goats- Vaccination via eye dripping has been practiced in Israel as a routine, since 1997 in all the farm sectors with the same amount each year.
In the present year 179,447 (181,554 the previous year) sheep and goats were vaccinated. In the Jewish sector 18,989 (76,355) and in the minority sectors 97,549 (105,199) (in the year 2002 97,033). The annual average vaccination for the years 1997-2004 was almost 133,000. The number of outbreaks is also steady with an average of 10 annually (this year 9). This year also one outbreak was registered in cattle. The vaccination policy is aimed mainly for the sheep and goat industry and as public protection for those that come in close contact with them. Vaccination reduces significantly the number of cases and carriers, which disperse the pathogenic bacteria in the milk.
Due the vaccination policy one has reduced significantly human exposure to the brucella bacteria in milk products.
Transmissible gastro enteritis in pigs (TGE). Since mid May this year many fattening pig farms in the North of the country were hit in three centers (Ibillin, Meilya and Kafar Yasif) by transmissible gastro enteritis. The disease struck piglets 1-2 weeks old, and some cases caused mortality above 50%. Also the milk production of the saws dropped. It was estimated that from May till August of the 48,120 new born piglets the morbidity was 43,330 and mortality 12,120 (28%) in 25 farm units. Only exposure and feeding saws toward their delivery period, to infected organs of dead infected piglets, caused an elevation in antibodies in their blood and caused a reduction on morbidity and mortality. The Veterinary Services imposed movement restriction in the beginning of the outbreak, and together with an efficient inspection were successful, in a short time, to cut the damage.
Trichinella- The disease was diagnosed this year in 14 wild hogs, all from the Goaln and Carmel mountains out of 923 hunted and inspected by veterinarians, compared to 42 out of 996 the year before. In the previous year foreign workers were infected after consuming trapped wild hogs in infected areas and which were not inspected.
Within the framework of testing the efficient of rabies oral bait vaccine, foxes and jackals trapped throughout the country are tested in the laboratory. Those foxes and jackals were tested in the parasitetology laboratory for trichinaella parasites as well. In total 88 jackals were tested and 12 were found positive (8 in Carmel mountains, 2 in the Upper Galilee, and 2 from the Golan, and 153 foxes were tested in which only 2 were positive (1 in the Carmel mountains, and 1 in Jerusalem) all from 9 localities. In the previous year 150 foxes and jackals were tested (90 foxes and 60 jackals) from 72 localities from June to December 2003. 14 positive cases (12 jackals and 2 foxes this year and last year were all in mountain area or their slopes, even though the survey was equally spread through the whole country. All the positive wild hogs were in the same areas in which the foxes and jackals were found positive. There is no answer to the phenomena that the incidence in jackals in higher than in foxes.
IV. Comments on other diseases
Ephemeral fever-(Three days Fever)- The disease has struck this year severely and was isolated in 35 localities. It was diagnosed clinically wide spread in 176 dairy localities. It was found to be more severe in 23 localities in which more than 10% of the cows were ill due to the disease. In the previous year the disease almost disappeared and no clinical cases were observed. In 2000 the disease was noticed in 111 localities, in 2001 10 localities. 2002- 2. The morbidity in 2000 was severe, and approximately the morbidity was 3% in calves, and 31% in cows. Also the mortality rose with the age from 0.4 in calves to 3.6% in adult cows. Each cow that was clinically ill lost approximately 350 liters of milk. In 2001 the damage was smaller and in 2002 it passed almost unnoticed.
If one compares the spread direction of the disease of present year to 1990, one notices that the trend has changed. In 1990 the disease had burst out in the north of Jordan valley and from there has spread to the south of the valley and to the North of the country (in the other years also to the North and South and center of the country). This year it started, in the contrary, in the South and continued from there to the North and to the Jordan valley. There is no explanation to this trend.
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