Vaccines and foot-and-mouth disease eradication in South America

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines have been a component of disease control and eradication strategies in South America ever since the first national programmes were created in the 1960s. By the mid 1970s, with the aid of international loans, FMD control programmes were implemented in almost every country and control measures strengthened. Livestock production forms are still a determining factor in the spread and prevalence of FMD and regional control/eradication strategies based on these forms were developed during the 1980s, as part of the Hemispheric Plan for FMD Eradication, developed by Panaftosa-PAHO/WHO and the South American countries. The widespread use of oil-adjuvant vaccines and the development of strategic schemes of coverage were instrumental in decreasing clinical disease and in controlling FMD to a point that eradication could be sought. This resulted in the recognition of countries and regions as free with and without vaccination Reappearance of FMD in Argentina, Southern Brazil and Uruguay were controlled with the aid of mass vaccination of bovines and other susceptible species, under special circumstances. Clinical FMD has been absent from Uruguay since August 2001; from Argentina since January 2002 and from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil since July 2001. To prevent reintroduction of FMDV into free areas, national programmes must stress primary prevention activities with regional approaches and vaccination campaigns based on homogeneous coverage and timing, especially along international borders.