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Published Date: 2012-09-17 16:55:48
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Contagious ecthyma, sheep - ex Australia: Bahrain, Pakistan
Archive Number: 20120917.1297467

CONTAGIOUS ECTHYMA, OVINE - ex AUSTRALIA: BAHRAIN, PAKISTAN
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In this posting:
[1] Bahrain
[2] Pakistan
[3] Pakistan

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[1] Bahrain
Date: Mon 17 Sep 2012
Source: TopNews (Arab Emirates) [edited]
http://topnews.ae/content/213030-authorities-say-aussie-sheep-contain-disease

Authorities Say, Aussie Sheep Contain Disease
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Though, previously it was decided that a few live sheep sent from Fremantle to Bahrain would be destroyed, authorities had since declared that [the sheep] are carrying a disease. It is now being said that a whole batch of 21 000 sheep would face destruction, according to a new report.

Pakistan has accepted the same saying the bacteria, including salmonella, found in the sheep are extremely hazardous. Thus, full consignment must be destroyed. However, vets in the country had previously ignored the fact that these are infected and had issued a clean bill of health.

Alison Penfold, Australian Livestock Exports Council chief executive is of the opinion that culling would challenge Australia's competitiveness in terms of live exports. Also, Wellard Exporters, which had shipped the sheep, says that these are perfectly healthy.

Mauro Balzarini has affirmed, "They are from healthy Australian flocks that feed Australian and international consumers with chops and roasts on a daily basis with no risk to human health".

But, authorities say it is evident from tests that the sheep have a scabby mouth disease, which can prove fatal when enter humans. Wellard Exporters is making every effort to halt Pakistan from euthanizing the sheep. Nonetheless, Pakistani government is conducting its own testing program to confirm the actuality.

[Byline: Gunraj Sandhu ]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka

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[2] Pakistan
Date: Mon 17 Sep 2012
Source: Nation (Pakistan) [edited]
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/national/17-Sep-2012/culling-of-21-268-infected-sheep-ordered

Culling of 21 268 infected sheep ordered
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A week after the importation of around 21 268 Australian sheep from Bahrain, Commissioner Roshan Ali Shaikh on Sunday [16 Sep 2012] directed that the sheep infected with virus be scientifically disposed of. He said the process of culling and dumping of virus-infected sheep had begun under the supervision of the deputy commissioner. Shaikh said the Livestock Department had been directed to start the disposal operation that might take more than a day. He stated that in the 1st phase, veterinarians would administer lethal injections to all the infected sheep so that they could be killed humanely. In the 2nd phase, their carcasses would be dumped. "Heavy earthmoving machinery, to dig up a big dump, is on its way to the farm where the sheep have been corralled," he said. [It] was reported that the commissioner said that "the process was initiated on the behest of Livestock Department, as they said that the sheep were not "safe for human consumption."

Earlier on Sat [15 Sep 2012], the Sindh livestock authorities confirmed the consumption of the sheep imported from Australia was injurious to health. According to officials, random testing validated Australian Merino sheep were suffering from scabby mouth disease. "The veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Islamabad and Tando Jam tested the blood samples of at least 80 sheep and the saliva of 9 of them," an official added. "The samples from the sheep tested positive for 100 percent presence of salmonella and actinomyces, a couple of pathogens," officials added further. They also tested positive for 44 percent _E. Coli_, a species of bacterium, which could be highly pathogenic.

Last week, the livestock department had sealed the farm where Australian sheep believed to be infected with a contagious disease are being kept. A total of near 22 000 infected Australian sheep were unloaded at Port Qasim on 13 Sep 2012. Approximately 75 000 sheep departed from Australia on board the Fremantle-based Wellard Rural Exports ship Ocean Drover. Their destination was countries in the Middle East. 53 000 sheep were offloaded in Qatar and Oman, while the remaining 22 000 were to be transported to Bahrain. However, when the Ocean Drover arrived in Bahrain on 29 Aug 2012 it was asked to leave its berth until matters were resolved. It was here that concerns were raised in regards to the sheep being infected with scabby mouth disease. The ship remained in the waters of Bahrain for 14 days and the sheep were not allowed to be unloaded.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka

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[3] Pakistan
Date: Mon 17 Sep 2012
Source: Radio Australia [edited]
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-09-17/pakistan-culls-some-australian-sheep-in-shipment/1016352

Pakistan culls some Australian sheep in shipment
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A small number of live sheep shipped to the Middle East have been destroyed in Pakistan amid claims they were diseased.

The animals were part of a consignment of 21 000 live sheep rejected by Bahrain earlier this month due to claims some had scabby mouth.

The ship carrying the sheep arrived in Pakistan almost 2 weeks ago.

Conflicting reports suggested that authorities in Pakistan had ordered the sheep be destroyed after tests showed they are infected with bacteria including salmonella and actinomyces.

A Pakistani government official has been quoted as saying reports all the sheep will be destroyed are false.

He says tests results on the animals are due to be released later today.

The ABC has now confirmed that a small number of sheep have been destroyed but it is not known how many.

The Fremantle-based company which shipped the sheep, Wellard Exports, is currently holding a meeting and a telephone hook up with authorities in Pakistan to try to find out how many sheep are affected.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Kunihiko Iizuka

[According to the above media reports, the Pakistani authorities consider, or have decided, the culling of the entire consignment due to the suspected (or proven) presence of 3 pathogens: a viral one (Contagious ecthyma, also known as scabby mouth) and 3 bacteria - Salmonella (no subspecies or serovar named), _E. coli_ and Actinomyces.

Contagious ecthyma, _E. coli_ and Actinomyces are considered to be distributed globally (most probably not excluding Bahrain and Pakistan) and are not listed by the OIE. The only OIE-listed salmonella serotype (serovar) in mammals is _S. abortusovis_ which is host-specific: it affects specifically sheep and is generally regarded non-zoonotic.

Contagious ecthyma (Scabby mouth) was the disease that caused the cessation of the live sheep trade from Australia to Saudi Arabia between 1991 and 2001. It is a low grade disease against which Australian sheep bound for Saudi are vaccinated. Despite precautions it is still known to manifest in sheep and goats under stressful conditions. (Cutaneous, local) human infection may occur.

International animal trade disputes related to animal health and sanitary issues can be addressed within WTO's Sanitary-Phytosanitary Committee, which acts in accordance with OIE's International Animal Health Code. - Mod.AS

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1iGJ.]

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