Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana.
FMD Control Unit, Department of Veterinary Services, Maun, Botswana.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2022 Sep;69(5):2840-2855. doi: 10.1111/tbed.14436. Epub 2022 Jan 10.
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was first documented in domestic stock in Botswana in the early 1930s and since then the country opted for eradication of FMD from all her livestock-rearing areas. A multipronged control strategy was adopted along the pathway towards eradication that initially included strategic apthisation of cloven-hooved domestic stock up to 1964, movement restriction through cordon fences and quarantine system from the 1950s, and vaccination using readily available commercial vaccines from the mid-1960s, to date. This has resulted in 78% of the country's land area being officially declared and recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as FMD free without vaccination. However, the disease has remained endemic in the northern parts of the country, owing largely to co-existence of livestock and wildlife. We applied a qualitative risk analysis method in our study to assess the risk of FMD outbreak in zone 2 because of interaction between cattle and buffalo across a man-made physical barrier, southern buffalo fence, in the north of the country. The assessed risk was rated 'moderate' with moderate level of uncertainty, meaning assessment of mitigation options should be done before authorising import of cattle and cattle product from zone 2. Because of cost escalation associated with FMD controls, particularly zoning with cordon fences in the face of relentless trampling by elephants, we concluded that there is a need to revise the national goal of country-wide eradication of FMD in livestock rearing areas to a more achievable outcome for zone 2. We recommend adoption of husbandry management practices and marketing approaches that recognizes co-existence of cattle and wildlife in zone 2 as an exception to the rest of the country. Such an approach should be rooted not on geographic occurrence of FMD nor separation of the two species but on food product safety guarantees along the value chain, and we believe this to be critical for sustainability of FMD management and livelihoods in zone 2.
口蹄疫（FMD）于 20 世纪 30 年代初在博茨瓦纳的家畜中首次记录，此后该国选择从所有饲养牲畜的地区根除 FMD。在根除的过程中，采用了多管齐下的控制策略，最初包括 1964 年之前对有蹄类家畜进行有计划的扑杀，20 世纪 50 年代以来通过围堵围栏和检疫系统限制动物流动，以及自 20 世纪 60 年代中期以来使用现成的商业疫苗进行免疫接种。这使得该国 78%的土地面积被世界动物卫生组织（OIE）正式宣布和认可为无疫苗接种的 FMD 自由区。然而，由于家畜和野生动物共存，该国北部地区的口蹄疫仍呈地方性流行。我们在研究中应用了定性风险分析方法，评估由于该国北部人工物理屏障——南部水牛围栏——两侧牛和水牛之间的相互作用，在 2 区发生口蹄疫暴发的风险。评估风险为“中等”，不确定性程度中等，这意味着在批准从 2 区进口牛和牛产品之前，应评估减轻风险的选择方案。由于与口蹄疫控制相关的成本不断上升，特别是在面临大象无情踩踏的情况下进行分区围堵围栏，我们得出结论，需要修改在全国范围内消除饲养牲畜地区口蹄疫的国家目标，以实现更可行的 2 区目标。我们建议采取畜牧业管理做法和营销方法，承认 2 区牛和野生动物共存是该国其他地区的例外。这种方法的基础不是口蹄疫的地理发生，也不是两种物种的分离，而是整个价值链的食品安全保障，我们认为这对口蹄疫管理和 2 区生计的可持续性至关重要。
