FMD Saving Rare Breeds

1
FMD - Saving Rare Breeds

• Mike Roper
• UK National Co-ordinator

2
FMD - Statistics lt 15.8.01

• Total slaughterings 3,756,000 animals
• on 1950 infected premises
• 3013 contiguous premises
• 3879 dangerous contacts
• 244 on suspicion

3
Main Features

• First identified in pigs at an abattoir
• Likely source - contaminated pig swill
• Spread to sheep flock (18.5m ewes)
• Spread mainly by direct contact
• Difficult to diagnose in sheep

4
The Problem for FAnGR

• Contiguous culling/dangerous contacts within
  surveillance zones
• Concentrations of rare genotypes within breed
• Genotype/Environment relationships - hefted
  sheep breeds
• species differences in risk analysis

5
Actions Taken - 1

• Culling exemptions for rare breeds of sheep and
  goats
• risk analysis
• biosecurity
• isolation
• serological testing
• identification of at risk flocks by map ref.

6
Actions Taken - 2

• The Heritage Gene Bank
• co-funding with MAFF
• hefted flocks of Herdwick sheep
• cryopreservation (ram semen)
• problem of seasonality of breeding
• addition of Rough Fell and Portland Breeds

7
Action taken - 3

• RBST
• cattle/pig gene banks in existence
• new collections of semen from 6 rare sheep breeds
  in uninfected areas - Castlemilk Morrit, Norfolk
  Horn, White Faced Woodland, Teeswater, Grey Faced
  Dartmoor, Leicester Longwool.
• Fund raising campaign for Rare Breed Genebank

8
Action taken - 4

• British Pig Association
• Welsh Black under threat
• problem of infectivity of the pig
• exemptions for pigs, cattle and other species
• as for sheep goats but more restrictive

9
Positive outcomes

• Public awareness funding of FAnGR
• Political awareness of FAnGR
• Recognition of need for National Consultative
  Committee and National Action Plan
• Springboard for FAO Report on SoW AnGR
• Importance of Gene Banks