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Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS: SHEEP AND GOAT VACCINATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Thu 26 Feb 2009
Source: Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality Press
release [trans. from Dutch by Mod.AS, abridged and edited]
<http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_pageid=116,1640333&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_news_item_id=24100>
Government covers costs of vaccination against Q fever
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Holders of dairy goats who are obligated to vaccinate their animals
against Q fever, will obtain financial support. Minister Gerda
Verburg of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and Minister Ab
Klink of Public Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) will undertake the
costs of the vaccine as well as of its administration to the animals.
Holders of dairy goats and sheep for whom the vaccination is not
obligatory, will receive only the costs of the vaccine.
Minister Verburg already published the vaccination area which
includes almost the entire south of the Netherlands (see map at
<http://www.minlnv.nl/cdlpub/servlet/CDLServlet?p_file_jd=34143>). In
this area, holdings with more than 50 dairy goats or milking sheep
must vaccinate against Q fever. This applies also to children's and
Occupational Therapy farms with smaller number of goats or sheep.
Farms outside the prescribed vaccination area, which suffered
outbreaks of Q fever since 2005, must also vaccinate. All the
mentioned farms will get the vaccine and its administration free of
charge.
All others (holdings with fewer than 50 animals in the vaccination
area or any holdings outside the vaccination area) may voluntarily
vaccinate. They get the vaccine free, but must cover the costs of
administration by veterinarian.
Minister Verburg has ordered 400 000 doses of the vaccine from a
pharmaceutical company by a pharmaceutical company. The 1st batch of
50 000 doses will be supplied in mid-April 2009; the 2nd batch,
including 300 000 doses will be supplied in mid June 2009. These 350
000 doses are intended for the obligatory vaccinations. The remaining
50 000 doses are expected in September 2009. The vaccination campaign
is led by the Animal Health Service (GD) [GD is a Dutch
market-oriented organisation primarily for the improvement of animal
health and safety of animal products. Veterinary specialists provide
farmers and veterinary practitioners with assistance and advice not
only for the fight against infectious diseases but also regarding
aspects of animal husbandry and animal welfare. GD was founded in
1919 by and for farmers, with the objective of preventing and
eradicating animal diseases. It was a foundation until 2000. In 2000
GD was converted into a private company. - Mod.AS] Q fever
vaccinations will be carried out by veterinarians chosen by the
animal owners.
The estimated cost of mandatory vaccination is nearly 2 million euro
[USD 2 535 497]. On top of the vaccine and its administration, this
budget covers also the costs of the GD as well as monitoring and
research.
Q fever is a disease caused by the bacterium _Coxiella burnetii_which
can infect all domestic farm animals as well as pets, rodents and
birds. It is a zoonotic disease, which means possible spread from
animal to man.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
[The unique Q fever epidemic/epizootic which started in 2007 in 2
Dutch provinces, Noord Brabant and Gelderland, has become probably
the world's largest -- and an example of applied One Medicine
concept, since it led to the described effort by the 2 relevant
ministries, Public Health and Agriculture, to prevent human infection
by large-scale mass animal vaccination. Vaccinations have been
already applied, though on a smaller scale, during the last semester
of 2008.
Until 2007, the annual number of human Q fever cases in the
Netherlands did not exceed 15; this has risen to more than 1000
patients in 2008. Interestingly, the direct or indirect connection
between animal and human has -- so far -- not been unequivocally
demonstrated in all cases. A considerable number of cases were urban;
an official ban to spread manure from goat and sheep farms did not
seem to achieve significant results. Other hygienic measures, and
particularly avoiding pregnant women from contact with small
ruminants, have been applied. Much still remains to be learnt and
explained. It is therefore fortunate that monitoring and research are
covered in the budget, mutually taken care for by the 2 ministries.
Hopefully, the contribution of the vaccination to improved public
health will be convincingly demonstrated; results are anticipated
with great interest. - Mod.AS]
[see also:
2008
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Q fever - Netherlands (04): sheep & goat vaccination 20081023.3352
Q fever - Netherlands (03): (NBR, GEL) 20080802.2367
Q fever - Netherlands (02): (NBR) 20080728.2306
Q fever - Netherlands: (NBR) 20080725.2267
2007
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Q fever - Netherlands (Noord-Brabant, Gelderland) 20070809.2592]
....................arn/ejp/lm
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