GUYANA continues to successfully maintain its status as being free from the dreaded Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), as has been confirmed by surveillance studies done by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The studies were done between December 2011 and February 2012, and involved the PAHO/WHO and PANAFTOSA, a Brazilian laboratory for animal health.
According to a Ministry of Agriculture release, the cattle industry enjoys the coveted status of being free from Foot-and-Mouth Disease without the use of vaccines.
This success in disease control among Guyana’s cattle, the agency says,  is  the result of a very effective surveillance programme.
Although the actual testing for FMD had to be done in the laboratories of PANAFTOSA in Brazil, by the end of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture hopes to develop local capacity to test for FMD in its Animal Health Laboratory.
PANAFTOSA will assist Guyana to establish this capacity, and will assist Guyana in certifying its Animal Health Laboratory.
In the face of these successful test results, Guyana is also presently ensuring it implements control programmes for Brucellosis and Bovine TB.
The staff of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) must be commended for their efforts to ensure Guyana remains free of the devastating FMD.
Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy commended GLDA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Dindial Permaul, the veterinarians who work with the GLDA, and the surveillance and laboratory staff of the GLDA for their excellent work in maintaining a strong surveillance of Foot-and Mouth Disease in Guyana. He also commended the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) for supporting Guyana’s efforts to eradicate Foot-and-Mouth Disease from Guyana.
As part of the Agriculture Ministry’s commitment to ensure a reliable supply of safe and healthy beef, and in order to comply with obligations to the OIE as those relate to the disease-free status, it is imperative that regular surveillance activities be carried out, and the results documented and submitted to the relevant agencies.
It is also important that surveillance results be communicated to Guyana’s farmers and its citizens.
The Agriculture Ministry is part of the efforts of informing the Guyanese people of the work being done in preventing the emergence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Guyana.
Minister Ramsammy noted thus: “In our efforts, and as part of the surveillance activities, sample collections were conducted in Regions 9 and 6 during the period December 2011 to February 2012.”
He also said, “Sample collections involved the taking of blood specimens from animals in the (mentioned) regions. Officers from GLDA Head Office, laboratory and regional staff participated in these exercises.”
According to Minister Ramsammy, the groups were sub-divided into three (3) teams to cover the three (3) sub-districts in each region, and a total of 825 blood samples were collected; serum from each sample was processed, and then stored prior to dispatch to Brazil.
The minister said the serum samples obtained from animals in Regions 6 and 9 were taken to the PANAFTOSA Laboratory in Brazil for further testing by the veterinary officer in charge of the Laboratory, Dr. Dane Hartley.
Dr. Hartley participated in the processing and testing of the samples, and all of the samples were non-reactive (negative) for Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
In FMD testing, test results are expressed as T/C values. Values below 0.8 T/C are negative for FMD. Values equal to or greater than 0.8 T/C are suspicious for FMD. All specimens from Guyana tested below 0.8.
“We are proud of our partnership with PANAFTOSA, one of the growing Guyana/Brazil partnership initiatives.” Minister Ramsammy declared. He related that through this partnership, Guyana is building capacity for the development of strong animal disease surveillance programmes.
“Indeed, our partnership with PANAFTOSA has grown to the extent that PANAFTOSA is working with us to further develop our laboratory capacity, and we expect that we will be able to develop the capacity to test for FMD fully in Guyana by the end of the year,” Minister Ramsammy noted.
Dr Ramsammy also stated that Dr. Dane Hartley has been working with PANAFTOSA to develop the knowledge and skills to lead the laboratory operation to test for FMD.
The Ministry of Agriculture, through the GLDA, is strengthening the Animal Health Laboratory to ensure it has the necessary equipment to conduct routing FMD testing.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease
Foot-and-Mouth Disease,also called Hoof-and-Mouth Disease, is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovines, sheep, goats and swine; all economic species are affected. In susceptible populations, morbidity may approach 100%; cattle are the most susceptible.
The FMD virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet, which may rupture and cause lameness.
FMD is caused by an aphtovirus belonging to the family Picornaviridae. Seven distinct serotypyes are recognised: Serotypes A, O, C, Asia 1, Southern African Territories (SAT 1, 2 and 3).
According to the Agriculure Ministry, FMD occurs throughout much of the world; and whilst some countries have been free of FMD for some time, its wide host range and rapid spread represent cause for international concern.
Guyana is free of FMD, and has been able to maintain this FMD-free status without the use of vaccines. In South America, Chile, southern Argentina, Guyana, Suriname and the region of Colombia bordering Panama are FMD-free.
The foregoing indicates how devastating the FMD disease can become for an infected country, be it economic, social or otherwise.

Surveillance in Guyana
The Agriculture Ministry’s passive surveillance programme includes strict monitoring of all ports of entry. At such ports, no animal or animal products are allowed to enter Guyana without a valid import permit from the Animal Health Unit of the GLDA, Ministry of Agriculture.
It is a policy decision of Guyana not to import animals or animal products from countries affected by Foot-and-Mouth Disease. Some of the products used for disinfection at these ports are Virkon-S and Biocide (viricide).
Should the veterinary officer of any region or district suspect that FMD is threatening that region or district, (as in the presence of vesicles, fever etc.), that information should be communicated immediately to the Head, Animal Health Unit, GLDA, who will immediately inform the Minister of Agriculture, who will in turn inform the Minister of Health and activate the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Emergency Plan.
The susceptible livestock population is approximately forty thousand (40,000), of which thirty-five thousand (35,000) are cattle and the rest are small ruminants.
Region #9 is equipped with one central abattoir, located in Lethem within close proximity to the central marketing centres.
Animal movement is only permitted within Region #9.
The mode of transporting animals is over land, and it requires a permit to that effect which would have to be presented at every police station along the desired route.
The animals have to be transported during the day (6.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.), as it is illegal to transport animals during the night (6.00 p.m. – 6.00 a.m.).

Efforts made to eradicate FMD in Guyana
In Region #9 in 1978, Guyana woke up to the unpleasant experience of having an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease.
That outbreak was eradicated the said year, using the stamping out method (slaughtering of all animals). When the laboratory analysis was done, Type “O” of the virus was detected. As a method of control, no live animals were allowed to be transported from Region #9 to other regions. The use of vaccines was never implemented in Guyana’s eradication programme.
Guyana has been free of Foot-and-Mouth Disease without using vaccination since May 30, 2001, and has been declared thus by the World Organization for Animal Health. It is thus prohibited to vaccinate susceptible animals.
Importation and use of any type of vaccine is monitored by the Animal Health Unit of GLDA.