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World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) grants UK FMD free status

   

INFORMATION BULLETIN

Ref: 53/08
Date: 22 February 2008

The World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) Scientific Commission has officially declared that the UK has regained freedom from FMD without vaccination, following a three month disease-free period.

OIE rules allow countries to apply to regain their official FMD free status provided that there has been a three month disease free period without vaccination, since the last confirmed case.

Regaining the UK’s FMD free status is attributable to a robust disease control and surveillance programme. No further cases of FMD have been identified since 30 September 2007.  Comprehensive information setting out a robust case for official disease freedom, supported by detailed surveillance information was provided to OIE on 31 December 2007.

The OIE declaration marks the next step towards strengthening the UK’s position for lifting the FMD-related import ban on agricultural commodities in  non-EU countries.  Normal intra-EU trade was resumed on 31 December.

Notes to editors

  1. The UK gained EU disease freedom status and a return to normal trade on 31 December 2007. The UK applied to re-gain its wider OIE FMD freedom without vaccination on the same date.

  2. The UK's dossier was favourably assessed by an OIE ad hoc group in January with a recommendation to OIE Scientific Commission to re-instate UK FMD freedom status without vaccination.

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Page published: 22 February 2008 13:50