Description:
Foot and mouth disease control measures Historically, France had implemented, for 1962, a medical-sanitary health policy, using both annual vaccination of all bovine livestock, and in case of outbreak, the stamping out of all animals of vulnerable species. This strategy which has proved to be particularly effective, was abandoned in 1991, in accordance with european regulation, about animal-health reasons and political and economics arguments. The reapparence of foot and mouth disease, in 2001 in Europe, demonstrated the limits of sociological acceptability of a a policy based only on animal-cullings. The perfecting of purified vaccines, with targeted use around the outbreaks, could spare culling of vaccinated animals, in accordance with a new zoo-sanitary international regulation. It could be, with other efficient sanitary measures (control of livestock movements, livestock identification, control of animal feedstuffs, control of imports, destruction of infected herds and preventive cullings) one management among others of a foot and mouth epizootic.