GUIDE TO EPIDEMIOLOGIC SURVEILLANCE FOR RINDERPEST

The practical implementation of epidemiological surveillance programme s for rinderpest prescribed by the standards of the Office Internation al des Epizooties (OIE) is described. The rationale of surveillance is discussed in relation to the stages of disease control, discontinuati on of vaccination, clinical surveillance and serological surveillance. These stages lead to provisional and confirmed declarations of freedo m from disease, and the confirmed declaration of freedom from infectio n. Practical methods of stratification of livestock populations, and s election of samples of herds and animals within selected herds are exp lained. The actions to follow any discovery of disease, or any clinica l or serological signs of disease, are discussed. In the serological s urveillance stage, balancing the number of herds and the number of ani mals within selected herds tested can result in considerable reduction in the overall number of serum samples to be tested. The methods used in rinderpest surveillance can readily be adapted to surveillance pro grammes for other diseases.