Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most contagious diseases of cloven-hooved mammals with the potential of causing severe economic losses and trade disruptions in animals and animal products. Due to its highly contagious nature and economic importance for many countries, FMD is the first disease for which the OIE established an official list of free countries and zones (see OIE Disease Free Status and Disease Free Recognition procedures).
The Terrestrial Code (Chapter 2.2.10) provides detailed information on the categories of freedom from FMD that can be allocated to a Member as well as the Guidelines for the surveillance for foot and mouth disease in Appendix 3.8.7. A specific questionnaire (Questionnaire for the recognition of free status for foot and mouth disease) has been developed to assist Members in the preparation and compilation of dossiers for evaluation by the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases.
Each year in May, during the General Session, the International Committee, composed of the Delegates of OIE Members, adopts a list by Resolution for the 'Recognition of the Foot and Mouth Disease Status of Members.
Should a Member that is listed in the official OIE list of FMD free countries or zones, experience an outbreak of foot and mouth diseases within its entire territory or within a recognized zone listed as disease free, the OIE on receipt of confirmation of the outbreak by the Official Delegate of the Member, immediately publishes the information on the OIE website (Suspension of FMD free status) to inform other Members that the name of such a Member has been removed from the list of countries or zones free from foot and mouth disease.
An expedited procedure for regaining the free status has been adopted by the International Committee. During the 76th General Session in 2008, the International Committee adopted a Resolution XXII summarizing the procedures for Members for the official recognition and maintenance of status of certain animal diseases. The Scientific Commission has the authority to reattribute to a Member previously recognised as being FMD free, and without further consultation with OIE Members and the International Committee, its free status for all or part of its territory if the Member provides evidence in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
List of Foot and Mouth Disease free countries
Recognition of the Foot and Mouth Disease Status of Members
CONSIDERING THAT
1. Adoption of subsequent Resolutions* since the 62nd General Session of the OIE International Committee has established a procedure for annually updating a list of Member countries and zones, recognised as free from foot and mouth disease (FMD) according to the provisions of the Terrestrial Code,
2. The Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases (the Scientific Commission) has continued to apply the procedure approved by the International Committee, and has supported the recognition of the FMD free status of additional countries and zones for annual adoption of the list by the International Committee,
3. During the 65th General Session, the International Committee adopted Resolution XII, which stated that the Delegates of Members where entire countries or zones are recognised as FMD free, annually confirm by letter during the month of November that their FMD status and the criteria by which that status was recognised have remained unchanged,
4. Recommendations of the Scientific Commission regarding the evaluation of countries or zones as being free from FMD have been submitted to Members for comments as outlined in Resolution XVI, which was adopted during the 67th General Session of the International Committee,
5. During the 70th General Session, the International Committee adopted Resolution No. XVIII asking Members applying for this evaluation to meet part of the costs sustained by the OIE Central Bureau in the evaluation process,
6. Information published by the OIE is derived from declarations made by the official Veterinary Services of Members. The OIE is not responsible for inaccurate publication of country or zonal disease free status based on inaccurate information, changes in epidemiological status or other significant events that were not promptly reported to the Central Bureau subsequent to the time of declaration of freedom from FMD,
RESOLVES THAT
1. The Director General publish the following list of Members recognised as FMD free where vaccination is not practised, according to the provisions of Chapter 2.2.10. of the Terrestrial Code :
Albania
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Rep.
Denmark
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Estonia
Finland
Former Yug. Rep. of MacedoniaFrance
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea (Rep. of)
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malta
Mauritius
MexicoMontenegro
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia(1)
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States of America
Vanuatu(1) Including Kosovo administered by the United Nations 2. The Director General publish the following list of Members recognised as FMD free where vaccination is practised, according to the provisions of Chapter 2.2.10. of the Terrestrial Code:
Chinese Taipei and Uruguay.
3. The Director General publish the following list of Members having an FMD free zone where vaccination is not practised, according to the provisions of Chapter 2.2.10. of the Terrestrial Code**:
Argentina: the zone designated by the Delegate of Argentina in a document addressed to the Director General in January 2007;
Botswana: the zones as designated by the Delegate of Botswana in a document addressed to the Director General in December 2006;
Brazil: State of Santa Catarina;
Colombia: zones designated by the Delegate of Colombia in documents addressed to the Director General in November 1995 (Area I - Northwest region of Choco Department) and in January 2008 (Archipelago de San Andres and Providencia);
Malaysia: zones of Sabah and Sarawak designated by the Delegate of Malaysia in a document addressed to the Director General in December 2003;
Namibia: zone designated by the Delegate of Namibia in a document addressed to the Director General in February 1997;
Peru: zones as designated by the Delegate of Peru in two documents addressed to the Director General in December 2004 and in January 2007;
Philippines: Islands of Mindanao, Visayas, Palawan and Masbate;
South Africa: zone designated by the Delegate of South Africa in a document addressed to the Director General in May 2005.
4. The Director General publish the following list of Members having FMD free zones where vaccination is practised, according to the provisions of Chapter 2.2.10. of the Terrestrial Code:
Argentina: zone of Argentina designated by the Delegate of Argentina in documents addressed to the Director General in March 2007.
Bolivia: zone of Chiquitania designated by the Delegate of Bolivia in documents addressed to the Director General in January 2003 and a zone situated in the western part of the Department of Oruro in documents addressed to the Director General in September 2005;
Brazil: States of Acre along with two adjacent municipalities of Amazon state, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia and the middle southern part of the State Parà, as designated by the Delegate of Brazil in a document addressed to the Director General in March 2004 and February 2007. The States of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Sergipe, Tocantins, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Paraná, São Paulo of Brazil as designated by the Delegate of Brazil in a document addressed to the Director General in May 2008;
Colombia: zone designated by the Delegate of Colombia in documents addressed to the Director General in January 2003, two zones designated by the Delegate in documents addressed to the Director General in December 2004 and a south western zone designated by the Delegate of Colombia in documents addressed to the Director General in January 2007;
Paraguay: zone designated by the Delegate of Paraguay in documents addressed to the Director General in March 2007.
AND
5. The Delegates of these Members will immediately notify the Central Bureau if FMD occurs in their countries or zones within their territories.
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(Adopted by the International Committee of the OIE on 27 May 2008)
* 62nd General Session (GS) Resolution No (Res) IX; 63rd GS Res XI and Res XII; 64th GS Res XII and 65th GS Res XVII and 71st GS Res XXI.
** For information on the status of non-contiguous territories of Member Countries recognised as FMD free, please address enquiries to that country’s Delegate or to the Director General.
Restoration of
"FMD free zone without vaccination" statusBotswana
Following an outbreak of FMD in the northern part of the veterinary control zone 12, in the Kuke extension area of the Ghanzi district in Botswana on 27 October 2008 , the Delegate of Botswana submitted a request on 30 January 2009 to the Director General for the re-instatement of the FMD free status without vaccination of control zone 12 after the disease was successfully controlled in accordance with the provisions of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code. The OIE ad hoc Group on evaluation of foot and mouth disease (FMD) status of Members assessed the documentation submitted by the Delegate on 9 February 2009 and recommended to the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases that the FMD status of the ‘FMD free zone not practising vaccination' of Botswana, as recognized by the International Committee of the OIE in Resolution XXI, 75 th General Session of 22 May 2007 , be re-instated. The recommendation of the ad hoc Group experts was endorsed by the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases during their meeting on 12 February 2009 . In accordance with Resolution No. XXII of the 76 th General Session “Update on the procedures for Members for the official recognition and maintenance of status of certain animal diseases”, the Scientific Commission approved that as from 12 February 2009 the zone identified by the Delegate of Botswana in their submission of 30 January 2009 , be recognised as a zone free from FMD not practising vaccination.
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Restoration of
"FMD free zone with vaccination" statusBrazil
The OIE ad hoc Group for the evaluation of country status for foot and mouth disease on 29 th July 2008 evaluated the documentation concerning the control of foot and mouth disease in Brazil following outbreaks of FMD in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul on 30 September 2005 and recommended to the Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases that the foot and mouth disease status of Mato Grosso do Sul that was lost as result of the outbreaks, be re-instated. The Scientific Commission also on 29 th July 2008 accepted the recommendation of the ad hoc Group of experts and in accordance with Resolution No. XXII of the 76 th General Session Update on the procedures for Members for the official recognition and maintenance of status of certain animal diseases recognised that as from 29 July 2008 the State of Mato Grosso do Sul has regained its FMD-free status as a zone free from foot and mouth disease practising vaccination.
The recognition of the foot and mouth disease free status of Mato Grosso do Sul was done following an intensive consultation process and also in pursuance of the findings of OIE expert missions in 2006 and 2007 to the Mercosur countries. A further OIE expert mission is scheduled for November 2008 to monitor compliance by the respective countries to the OIE requirements for the maintenance of their disease free status for foot and mouth disease.
Suspension of
"FMD free Member with vaccination" statusChinese Taipei
Following a report received from the OIE Delegate of Chinese Taipei on two outbreaks of FMD in the states of Yun-Lin and Chang-Hua, the "FMD free Member where vaccination is practised" status f or Chinese Taipei as recognised by the International Committee of the OIE in terms of Resolution XX in May 2004, is suspended with effect from 18 February 2009 .