REGIONAL MEETING: FMDV IN AMERICA
First joint virtual meeting
The control of foot-and-mouth disease in America
from risk analysis to vaccine banks
10 March 2021 | 12:00-15:30 USA EST / 14:00-17:30 ART / 18:00-21.30 CET
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OS20se
/ EuFMD OPEN SESSION
/ Special edition
/ Virtual events
/ Workshops
Livelihoods @ risk in a FASTer world
In recent years, Foot-and-mouth And Similar Transboundary animal diseases (FAST) have made frequent and unprecedented inter-continental and inter-regional incursions that have not always been contained. This has affected the livelihoods of millions of livestock keepers and placed new demands on those working in public and private delivery of animal health services.
How have the approaches and tools adapted to these events? What is being done to better forecast FAST disease spread, to target surveillance and control measures, and to communicate risks? How can livestock business and livelihoods be protected - and maintained, at every level, in regions coping with persistence of FAST diseases, or frequent re-introductions? How can we better integrate this intelligence into national, regional and even farm-level biosecurity and risk mitigation actions, given the economic climate and environmental drivers for movements of animals and animal products from regions affected by FAST diseases.
In December 2020, we organized an online OS20 Special Edition, conducted in virtual format. It will also be the chance to mark the foundation of the Commission whose constitution was approved on the 11th December 1953 with the first countries joining the Commission during the following weeks.
The OS20 was organized in virtual sessions focused on animal mobility for FAST risk mapping, addressing risk change and forecast, vaccine security and critical resources for emergency management, and resilience to long-term FAST crises. The focus remained on FMD, but similar TADs were also considered (so called FAST diseases: Foot and Mouth Disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants, Sheep and Goat Pox, Lumpy Skin Disease, Rift Valley Fever, Bovine Ephemeral Fever). Furthermore, there is so much to learn from COVID for FAST disease management - and from each other, on how to work efficiently without travel and on biosecurity and behaviour change - that is relevant to discuss. For each session, keynote presentations and short pre-recorded interventions were proposed. A space for e-posters was made available.
Following the Open Session, workshops were also organized in January to reflect, discuss and work on the conference outcomes and a final closure day will be organized on February to share the conclusions of the OS20.
The Open Session is coordinated by the members of the EuFMD Standing Technical Committee.

Dr Stephan Zientara
Chairperson
France

Dr Germán Cáceres Garrido
Spain

Dr Giancarlo Ferrari
Italy

Dr Sten Mortensen
Denmark

Prof Katharina Staerk
Switzerland

Prof James Wood
United Kingdom
/ Information: registrations, sessions
Final Session
Registered participants
Registered participants can follow the live sessions at: www.eufmdvirtual.com (website + virtual event) and enter our virtual event where they can meet with the EuFMD team and our partners in their virtual rooms, visit the poster gallery and participate actively in our OS20 forum.
Non registered participants
Everyone can follow the live sessions at www.facebook.com/eufmd , www.youtube.com/eufmd
Forum + Chatbox
We use the OS20 forum to gather questions, interest and comments about the sessions.
Each session is moderated by a member of the EuFMD.
Forum: https://www.eufmdvirtual.com/
Chatbox: https://www.eufmdvirtual.com/
Live sessions + Recorded sessions
All sessions were recorded and are available at: www.eufmdvirtual.com, wwww.youtube.com/eufmd
/ Agenda > See the agenda
/ Presentations > See the presentations
/ Poster sessions > See the poster sessions
/ Conclusions > See the draft agenda
SESSION I : Measuring animal movements and drivers for FAST risk mapping.
Prof. James Wood (Chair)
8 DEC
Aim: to scrutinize how animal mobility drivers and network analysis can contribute to risk mapping for FAST diseases and how animal movement changes and related risks can be monitored and forecasted.
Main issues:
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What tools and methodologies can be used for investigating dynamics of animal mobility and understanding driving factors, including socio economic aspects for risk mapping?
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How and where the disruption in the production and the price variations affect the animal mobility with changes in movement patterns?
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How movement pattern changes can be regularly monitored and forecasted and when they influence the spread of animal diseases?
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How predictive are the movements of animals for FAST disease incursions and spread?
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What type of training methodologies and partnerships to improve skills and tools to collect and analyse risk information such as animal movements and market prices can be implemented for wider delivery and impact.
Aim: to consider how improved surveillance, control and prevention measures well address properly risk changes and forecast
Main issues:
-
What are the main challenges for conducting regular risk assessment, what are the real-time datasets available, how all inputs data can be used into an overall risk estimate and how models results are validated?
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How dynamics of risk can be mitigated by targeted and timely prevention and control measures and what are the difficulties for rapid response to risk change?
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How cost-benefit analysis can assist risk managers in the prioritization of actions according to risk?
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How risk communication can advocate for improved surveillance, prevention and control in the digital era?
SESSION III : Vaccine security and critical resources for emergency management.
Dr. Sten Mortensen (Chair)
15 DEC
Aim: to compare national and regional approaches to ensure sufficient critical resources in FAST crises, including quality vaccines and diagnostics, to ensure proper response during multi-country epidemics.
Main issues:
-
How the availability of good quality vaccines for FAST diseases can be improved for emer- gency use? How to prioritize the application of available vaccine when resources or vaccine is limited?;
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How and when would we face the highest risks of insufficient laboratory capacities, including key facilities, personnel, and diagnostic supplies, in an FMD/FAST disease crisis situation?;
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What was the impact of COVID19 on animal health diagnostic capacity for FAST diseases?;
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How can countries assure the supply of sufficient resources to manage a FAST disease emergency and how public private partnership can assist?;
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How often may a multi-country shortage occur and are national – or international - stockpi- les or IDIQ contracts (indefinite duration, indefinite quantity) part of the solution, and what are their drawbacks?.
SESSION IV : Resilience to long term FAST crises. The importance of preparedness and planning to help ensure animal welfare, supply chain and business continuity in prolonged emergency responses.
Dr. Germán Cáceres Garrido (Chair)
17 DEC
Aim: to consider how control strategies and policies and preparedness planning could ensure greater resilience of businesses and support services in the livestock sector in the event of a prolonged disease emergency situation, comparing approaches to the problem in Europe and other normally FMD free regions.
Main issues:
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Why and when do disease incursions affect animal welfare, food supply chains and business continuity?
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What type of policy or strategies could better safeguard livestock farming and food chains during an animal health emergency response?
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What could be the role of compartimentalization to maintain business and food supply in a crisis, and what are the challenges to implement?
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Maintaining business continuity in a crisis: comparing international experience and policies
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Farm level biosecurity categorisations: how could these assist?
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Sociological and psychological resilience in protracted crises
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Maintaining animal welfare in prolonged emergencies
CONCLUSIONS.
16 FEBRUARY 2021
SESSION II : From risk to actions, make them happen.
Prof. Katharina Staerk (Chair)
10 DEC
/ Workshops
The workshops proposed and linked with the EUFMD workplan
After the OS20se
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Risk Mapping and Forecasting (19 January)
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Special Committee for Surveillance and Applied research (SCSAR) (22 January)
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EuFMDiS for improved preparedness (27 January)
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Capacities for disease management: Building business environments for supporting disease control and livelihoods (5 February)
Partners




