Situation Report: Increase in goat mortality - Diagnosis confirmed

Working Draft 0.3  Additional Findings

Situation Report 

Concern: Infectious Disease Outbreak in Ruminants (goats, sheep)

Date: June 29, 2015

Location: Lofa County, Liberia

In early June reports of an increase in goat mortality were brought to attention by Animal Healthcare Workers within Lofa County, Liberia. Currently it is believed that as many as 900 goats and sheep have died. Diagnostic samples from affected livestock have been acquired and submitted to a regional veterinary diagnostic laboratory. A confirmation of Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) has been received. Until a better understanding of the situation is established it is advised that individuals refrain from eating meat from contaminated animals.  Spread of PPR into adjacent Nimba County, Liberia has been confirmed.

Severity: Lethal, Infectious among ruminants

Zoonotic Threat: None Observed So Far, Low

Preliminary Diagnosis by Symptoms and Environmental Conditions:  Peste des petits ruminants (PPR)

Confirmation by Lab:  Submitted. Confirmed as PPR

Rule Out:  Rift Valley Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, Other Emerging Disease

Potential Interventions for Epidemic Management: 

Quarantine Animals in Affected Areas

PPR Vaccine (10,000 units) for Ring Vaccination Cost: $2,000 for vaccine, $50,000 for campaign

Challenges:

            Vaccine

Obtaining vaccine

`                       Getting vaccine through customs

Maintain cold chain

            Personnel:

Recruit qualified local workers

Infection control (especially for animal handlers, animal health workers and vaccinators)

Recruit project lead

Logistical:

Establish agreements with Ministry of Agriculture

Gaining compliance with district and local leadership

Gaining compliance with animal owners and animal handlers

Food security 

Policy implications 

Fear of additional infectious disease outbreak in the post-Ebola period

Political resistance

Social unrest, under conditions of food insecurity 

Communities trending toward greater vulnerability 

Economic impact on smallholder farmers

Broader implications

Assess mission critical functions in the affected and at risk communities

Community engagement for quarantine 

Maintain community resilience in affected Resilience Capacity Zones

Ministry of Health engagement 

District leadership engagement

Associated Organizations:

AU-IBAR:

Assisting in disease investigation and helping to develop an outbreak containment plan.

FAO :

Aware of the increase in livestock mortality within Lofa County, Liberia and providing assistance.

IAEA:

Provided and distributed ELISA diagnostic test to Liberia to aid in proper confirmation.  Tests are in place and samples have been acquired and submitted for testing.

Ministry of Agriculture, Gov of Liberia:

Officials in the field obtaining information on clinical signs, infected species and spread of the disease.

LEAF (local smallholder farmer association) 

Customs, Government of Liberia

US DOD 

UNICEF 

Global Health Response and Resilience Alliance