Press release PM 11/07, Sept. 14th, 2007
Federal organisation of German veterinarians, Oxfordstr. 1053111 Bonn
Foot and Mouth disease
No trade restrictions after emergency vaccination
In the light of the latest outbreak of FMD in the UK the German veterinary association (BTK) is urging the German Government to stage a protest against the trade restrictions following emergency vaccination against FMD.
They are asking that intracommunity as well as global trade in vaccinated animals and their products milk and meat should not be restricted.
" The use of emergency vaccination in outbreak regions without subsequent culling of vaccinated animals can prevent the disease from spreading as well as keeping the numbers of animals to be culled at an absolute minimum" says Dr. Ernst Breitling, President of the German federal veterinary organisation BTK.
Since 1992 no preventive vaccination against FMD has been carried out within the territory of the EU. In case of an outbreak the veterinary authorities can decide, pending permission from the European Commision, to carry out emergency vaccination in regions affected.
Usually this will lead to a prolonged period of trade restrictions for vaccinated animals and their products within the European Union and third countries. The reasons for trade restrictions are the assumptions that vaccinated animals can't be distinguished from infected animals. But meanwhile modern marker vaccines are available that permit on a herd level the distintion between vaccinated and infected animals.
Improvements, i.e. safe tests for individual animals, are neede. But most important, today it is possible to prove the infection of a single animal by virus dectection. The BTK has no sympathy for (is opposing?) the culling of healthy animals for trade reasons.
Losses in trade that are always used as an argument against vaccination are, in our opinion, less important than the implications for animal welfare.
Press release 17th August 2007
ARCHIVE 2001 -2006
Fields of Fire witness accounts of 2001
Foot and Mouth policy 2001 - opinions
FRONT PAGES
General Archive Page (new window)
Archive August 2007 Surrey outbreak - stage 1
Archive July 2007
Archive June 2007
Archive May 2007
Archive April 2007
Archive March 2007
Archive February 2007
Archive January 2007
Archive December 2006
Archive November 2006
Archive October 2006
Archive September 2006
Archive August 2006
Archive July 2006
Archive June 2006
Archive May 2006
Archive April 2006
Archive March 2006
Archive February 2006
Archive January 2006
FMD Front Page Oct 2004 - August 2005
General Front Page (includes other and related items)
Front Page Summer - October 2004
Warmwell front pages Spring 2004
Warmwell front pages Oct 03 - Jan 04
Warmwell front pages Sept 2002
Warmwell front pages August 2002
Warmwell front pages June / July 2002
Warmwell front pages - May / June 2002
Warmwell front pages - April / May 2002
Warmwell front pages - March / April 2002
Warmwell front pages - the earliest pages in 2001 - March 2002