FOOT-AND-MOUTH-DISEASE .3. THE CHANGE IN THE CONTROL STRATEGY

The previous two papers in this series described the properties of the FMD virus, the epidemiological picture up to 1986 and the consequence s of the introduction of the obligatory countrywide vaccination progra mme. This paper describes how a change in strategy was achieved. An ex amination of the time course of vaccination and outbreak of FMD sugges ted a causal association. The primary cause appeared to be the vaccine itself, but escape of the virus from vaccine production plants also o ccurred. The latter was confirmed by molecular genetic examination of the viruses. A cost-benefit study conducted European Union (EU) reveal ed that routine nation-wide vaccination was not the most beneficial op tion. As a result from 1 January 1992 the EU prohibited the use of rou tine vaccination in member countries. Subsequently, molecular genetic studies of viruses indicated that outbreaks in Turkey and the Near Eas t present the greatest risk for the introduction of FMDV into the Euro pean Union.