Department of Epidemiology 2003
The data on incidence and veterinary diagnostic activities in the last 5 years are summed and
reported in tables of notifiable diseases 1999-2003.
Most of the diagnoses are based on laboratories confirmation and only a small part on clinical
observation. Please find a description of selected notifiable diseases for 2003
Diseases of List A of OIE
1
From the map of List A diseases one could observe that sheep pox was diagnosed along the
“Green line” border with the Palistinian Authorities, and that PPR was concentrated in the Galileein the North part of Israel, in extensive farming. There is place for a suspicion that those two
diseases introduced by smuggling sheep across the “Green line” from areas in which the control
measures and disease levels are different than in Israel.
Foot and Mouth Disease: - In the year 1999 many cases of FMD were reported. The disease was
reported in 18 localities, and involved morbidity of 340 bovines, 337 sheep and 171 goats. After
that year Israel gained 4 years without any case, even though FMD was reported in the West Bank
this year and in 2002. This year the amount of vaccination was slightly lower than in 2002.
The policy of the Israeli Veterinary Services is to vaccinated the whole bovine population
annually, 3 months and older, from September through February of the next year, with a trivalent
vaccine ( O1, A22, asia1). A booster is given to calves under the age of 18 months 2-8 weeks after
the first one. Calves born after the winter vaccination campaign are vaccinated at the age of 3
months in the summer. The vaccination campaign includes sheep and goats population vaccinated
with a monovalent vaccine (O) without a booster as done for bovines.
Sheep pox- A slight rise of the disease is observed among sheep when compared to the previous
year. This year, 9 outbreaks were registered compared to 6 in previous year, and 17 in 2001.
Mortality rate was almost the same as previous year, in which some times almost all lambs died.
152 sheep (4%) (previous year – 3%) became ill from a population of 3,974 sheep exposed in the
outbreaks farms. Although the morbidity rate is low, the mortality rate among those was high. In
one case, 20 died from 25 lambs. Immediate flock vaccination did not stop the morbidity or
mortality. This presents a change in the disease trend observed in the past.
In an epidemiological follow-up it appears that the disease returns periodically. Many incidences
are registered when it reappears, followed with several years of low. In 1994-1995 the disease was
unnoticed, and since 1998 until 2003, 9-17 localities were infected yearly. Maybe are in the
beginning of a decline in the infection rate the next following years in sheep. One must not forget
that the decline in the infection is due to the Veterinary Services staff efforts convincing the
owners in the need of vaccinating exposed lambs. The potency of the vaccine is under study.
Peste des petits ruminants- The disease was diagnosed this year in 4 outbreaks compared to none
in 2002 and 10 outbreaks in sheep in 2001 from March till October. The mortality rate was this
year almost 66% (45 from 68 sick sheep). In 2001 the disease was also harsh and almost 60% died
(110 from 178 infected sheep). In Israel sheep are vaccinated with rinderpest vaccine and due to
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the world eradication campaign against rinderpest- the attention was drawn to fact that PPR could
infect latently cattle and produce antibodies similar to rinderpest. Rinderpest appeared in Israel in
1983 and was immediately eradicated. One considers to vaccinate with a PPR vaccine when it will
be possible to differentiate between a vaccine and a naturally infection in cattle or sheep.
Bluetongue- Since the disease was noticed in Israel for the first time in 1951, 5 sero-types of the
virus were diagnosed in Israel. Those are 2, 4, 6, 10 and 16. serotype 4 is the most common.
Although all forecasts expected a vast outbreak this year, because of heavy rains, temperate winter,
together with the increase in colicoides trapped, only one bluetongue outbreak was registered. One
must bear in mind that for clinical signs to appear, the virus must be virulent, and in high
concentration in the fly. The BT infection season in Israel is in July – December period with the
peak in October-November months. In 2002 no incidence of the disease was registered, and only
light clinical cases were noticed in 2001 when 7 localities were hit, and the death of only one
lamb. The disease was absent in Israel in 1998-2000.
One must not forget that the BT has caused much damage in Europe in 2001. In Israel one does
not notice the disease in cattle for many years. The Arava district stays clean from the cause of the
disease for many years.
Bovine spongy encephalitis (BSE)- No case was diagnosed in 2003. Since the case of bovine
spongy encephalitis in May 2002 in a cow from the herd in Ortal in The Golan Heights, all the
brains of cows slaughtered older than 30 month of age and the carcasses of elderly cattle are
tested. No further cases were found even with the intensive search.
That positive cow was born in 1992 in Beit Shean valley, and at the age of 2 years was transferred
to the farm in The Golan Heights. The death occurred within 2 days of disease, followed by
decrease in milk yield, nervous symptoms and uncontrolled chewing.
Newcastle disease- The disease was diagnosed in 9 localities (12 flocks) in the present year,
compared to 20 (28) last year. An outbreak of NC is declared in case that the index –icpi (intra
cerebral pathogenicity index( is higher than defined by the OIE- Organization International
Epizootic (index 0.7 or higher). In each case of NC diagnosed, the Veterinary Services destroy the
whole flock, impose movement restriction in a radius of 3 km’, and monitor 3 km’ radius around
the core. Because in the case of NC, the whole flock is destroyed, the economic damage depends
on the flock size including the number of death, morbidity and poultry destroyed. One could learn
from the map that the disease is concentrated in Sharon district and along the shore.
3
Dead
/destroyed
2003
2002
106,000
139,600
4
40,000
106
31,000
0
103,200
38,000
46,900
71,640
34,000
28,025
Total
poultry
2001
172,347
69,330
2,300
900
23,900
157,565
39,230
544,040
3,500
248,377
Year
District
Golan
Acco
Haifa
Yizrael
Hadera
Jericho
Ramle
HaSharon
Petach-Tiqva
Jerusalem
Rehovot
Beer-Sheva
Total
From the table one learns that the
mortality and poultry destroyed in
infected flocks are less than in the
previous year and similar to the year
2001.
In total 157,565 poultry died or were destroyed this year from Newcastle disease compared to
544,440 in 2002 and 248,377 in the year 2001.
Newcastle was diagnosed in 4 districts in the center and the South (Hadera, HaSharon, PetachTiqva and Rehovot) out of 15 districts in Israel. Flocks in two Northern districts (Kineret and
Tsefat) were not counted because they were destroyed on suspicion basis before being confirmed
in the laboratory. From the total of poultry affected, 22% were fattening turkeys (total 34,000), and
71,600 broilers (45%).
In 2003 and in the year 2002 NC was also diagnosed in backyard chickens and pigeons that fit the
OIE definition and therefore are included in the report.
List B diseases
Rabies –After Israel was blessed with only a very few cases in 2001 (6 cases) of the disease, due
to rabies oral vaccination, in the following years 2002-2003 one has witnessed a sharp rise. This
year the disease was diagnosed in 46 localities (69 cases – are pointed as squares in the map) and
the previous year 44 localities (64 cases- circles).
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Oral vaccination is performed since 1999, when in 1998 only field trials were conducted. In 1998
the oral rabies vaccine was distributed in Carmiel area of 480 km’, with a follow- up of tests
results.
The purpose of the oral vaccination was to vaccinate the target population, and in the case of
Israel, the fox population. One hopes to reach through the rabies baits a vaccination rate high
enough to break the infecting circle and the disease spread. Because of the nature of fast
multiplication and mortality in the fox the population, each half a year one faces a large new
young population unvaccinated and exposed to rabies, which is above the raft, enabling a new
outbreak of the disease if the oral vaccination baits distribution is not renewed.
Therefore one must disperse oral rabies vaccine
baits twice a year, and continue with it. Because
of budget constrains and difficulties in the West
Bank, the Veterinary Services conducted the
oral vaccination campaign only in the North and
the center of the country, and in some defined
area in the South.
It became obvious in 2002-2003 that in those
areas in which oral vaccination was not
performed, the disease broke out even more,
and endangered farm animals. From the map
one could see that the West Bank, where no oral
vaccination is done, serves as the source of the
outbreaks in areas annexed to them. It is
obvious that oral vaccination in long narrow
strips along the coast and enclosure in the South
is not enough to produce a barrier and prevent
the spread of rabies, even to vaccinated areas.
One sees clearly how the disease has passed
from places infected the previous year (full
circles) to new places (full squares) and passed
even further to the South and to the North.
In Europe, it has been clear to them the economic burden involved in a continued use of oral
vaccine rabies baits. Because of the economic reasons and nuisance in spreading the bait, different
authorities object taking part in continuing the struggle against rabies.
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Anthrax- Last case of anthrax was diagnosed in Israel in October 1999. Before that case it was
diagnosed in 1996. The trend in a decline of the disease had been observed already in the years
1995-1995 in which no incidence were registered. After anthrax outbreak one vaccinates the
animals in the infected farm for 10 years. Therefore in the last years, in average, 2,000 bovines and
about 100 sheep were vaccinated. In the contrary, this year as many as 22,891 bovines were
vaccinated, 10 times more than the previous year (2,030 bovines). This change is due precaution
measures taken against a possible biological terror attack from Iraq.
Brucellosis- in sheep and goats- ocular vaccination, is practices routinely since 1977, and is done
in all rural sectors in the same multitude as previous years.
At the present year 181,554 sheep and goats
were vaccinated. In the Jewish sector 76,355
and in the minority sector 105,199 (last year
97,033). The average is 133,00 vaccinations
annually (in the years period 1997-2003).
The number of positive isolations remains
steady, about 10 localities a year (in the
present year 11 localities), which remains
low due to continues vaccination policy.
Also two cases of brucella melitensis were
registered in cattle. The vaccination policy
was decided upon mainly as a protection act
for the human population and for those
farmers who handle sheep goats and cattle.
Vaccination
reduces
significantly
the
number of carriers who extrude pathogenic
bacteria in the milk. The brucella vaccination policy reduces also the number of humans exposed
to brucella bacteria in milk products. In spite the tremendous efforts of the Veterinarian Services,
still cases in humans occur, due to consumption of un-pasteurized milk or contaminated products.
Veterinarian Services do all the efforts possible to find the carriers, and especially sheep extruding
the pathogenic bacteria in the milk. After each new case in humans or sheep, the Veterinarian
Services staff makes an epidemiological study, find the source, and eradicate it.
6
Studying brucella cases in humans published in the Internet pages of the Ministry of Health
starting in the year 1999, shows that since 2001 a trend of lowering the cases in humans. Maybe
the gradual increase in cases in the year 2003 is the beginning of a worsening of the trend. (a table
and a graph are attached).
Distribution of brucella cases in human beings in the years 1999- 2003
Quarter
Total
Jan-March
Apr-June
July-Sept
Oct. Dec
Total
56
176
211
87
530
2003
2002
Year
2001
5
24
38
30
97
11
34
24
2
71
9
25
32
2
68
2000
1999
8
42
57
24
131
23
51
60
29
163
One notices that the majority of the cases is concentrated in the spring and summer months (AprilJune, July-September). One must remember, that the lambing season are divided into two kinds of
farming: The natural lambing in the spring April- June and the other in which a second lambing is
concentrated in the winter months (January-March). Therefore, milk products are produced in the
month after lambing. The disease is found also in families who consume infected milk products,
and increase immediately the infection rate a few months after the lambing seasons. If the last
increase in the human cases is true, one could expect that also soon an increase would be found
among sheep and goats.
Human brucella cases
Jan-March
Apr- June
July-Sept
Oct- Dec
60
40
30
20
10
0
2003
2002
Year 2001
2000
7
1999
Cases
50
Para-tuberculosis- A decision was made to create a Para-tuberculosis free club of diary cattle
farms. This effort, together with the uniting of cowherds has given rise to the number of Paratuberculosis tests. As a result the number of diagnosed localities has risen from 66 localities last
year, to 71 this year. After the request to join the Para-tuberculosis free club has been approved,
the first herd screening is performed in order to analyze the herd’s status. One who wants to join
the club must commit him to fulfill the whole club’s plan (purchasing, management, etc.). In the
testing period periodical laboratory tests are conducted for culling purposes, clinical observations
and management control. When a herd is accepted to the club the local District Veterinary Office
is notified.
Trichinellosis – The disease has been diagnosed this year in 42 wild pigs out of 996 hunted and
tested by veterinarians, which is 4% of all pigs hunted and brought to brought to a veterinarian
check. Some foreign workers were infected after consuming untested hunted wild pig meat.
In the frame of testing the efficiency of rabies baits vaccine, traped foxes and jackals from all parts
of the country were brought to the pathological laboratory and were also tested for the presents of
trichinaella in the parasitological laboratory.
In total 150 foxes and jackals were tested in the
parasitological
laboratory
(approximately 90
foxes and 60 jackals) from 72 localities in the
period of June- December 2003. The 14 positive
localities (12 jackals and 2 foxes) tested in the
laboratory came from mountain and the mountain
slopes areas, although trapped animals came from
all parts of the country. All the 42 positive hunted
wild pigs came from the same areas in which
positive cases were observed in the jackals tested
in
parasitological
laboratory.
There
is
no
explanation why the incidence in jackals is so
much higher than in foxes.
8
BSE (bovine spongy encephalitis) - A cow named Delhi from kibuts Ortal in a dairy cow died
showing clinical CNS symptoms on 28/5/2003 and was the first case of BSE in Israel diagnosed
on 4/6/2003. Because of precaution steps against BSE, Israel had banned all cattle food imports
from Britain since 1998, and from all other countries since 1990. Since 1996 Israel releases the
meat before entering the food chain only after testing all brain tissue of cattle above 30 months for
BSE and the brains of fallen stock older than 30 months.
Scrapie- The disease was not diagnosed this year. Last year two sheep were found infected from
two different localities. Sheep holders including the Bedouin sector are aware to the importance of
selecting the genotype responsible to the disease resistance in lambs, and keeping them for
breeding purposes or for artificial insemination.
Adenamatosis- The disease was diagnosed this year in 2 sheep, each in another locality. The
previous case was reported in the year 1989.
Diseases from another group
Botulism- At the present year there was a drastic reduction in magnitude of the disease. The
disease was diagnosed in 6 localities with 8 positive laboratory confirmed samples. Last year the
disease struck 22 farms in 12 localities. Only in Beer-Tuvia area, last year, 461 dairy cows and 145
calves died which sums up to 605 bovines and one sheep. Because this year the outbreaks were
mild, no deep case study was done.
Ephemeral fever- The disease most probably had disappeared and no signs of the disease have
been seen. In the year 2000 the disease was diagnosed in 11 localities, in 2001 – 10 localities and
in 2002-2.
As 10 years elapsed from 1009 until 2000, may be we will be blessed with another 10 years till the
next outbreak. The morbidity in 2000 was severe and almost approximately 3% of the calves, and
approx. 31% of adult cattle became ill. Also the mortality rose to 0.4 among calves till 3.6%
among cows. Each infected cow lost approx. 350 liters of milk/ in 2001 the damage was much
lighter, and in 2002 almost passed unnoticed. If the forecast is true we might expect another
outbreak in the year 2010.
Leptospira- The number of localities with infected cattle rose to 33 this year compared to 27 last
years. The Veterinarian Services make great efforts to reduce the damage in reproduction
including those caused by leptospira. The Veterinarian Services policy includes vaccinating
infected herds and repeat a booster vaccination after 30 days. The newborn are booster vaccinated
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each 6-10 months. As part of the policy one injects antibiotics in the dry period. This policy has
proved to be the most effective way, stopping using it after several years only.
Leishmania- The disease is known in Israel since 1949. The dog is the main reservoir of
Leishmania, especially L.infantum, belonging to donovani group. During the period of 1994-2003
the disease was diagnosed in 153 dogs from 46 localities, from Kiyat-Gat area till the Lebanese
border. Each area has its own typical genetic properties, not mixing with the neighboring areas.
The same picture is observed with rabies genetic characters. 52 humans cases were diagnosed with
zoonotic Leishmania. This year the disease was observed in dogs in 4 localities in Jerusalem and
Rammalla districts. Maybe those results are biased because all cases are in the vicinity of the
Veterinary School.
West Nile fever- This is the third successive year in which the disease was not found in poultry.
The compulsory vaccination against WNF was imposed on geese chicks at the time, only as a
precaution for human public health.
Carp nephritis and gill necrosis-In the spring of the year 1998 a new viral disease belonging to
the herpes group was diagnosed. The disease infects carp and koi fish. The disease was first found
in two ranches and had spread to the whole country in no time. At the present year the disease is
noticed in 90% of the fish ponds, and causes annually heavy losses to the branch growing up to
1.2$ million in carps and 0.8$ in aquarium fish. The Veterinary Services are waiting at the
moment that a new tested vaccine would be approved, and a wide use of the vaccine would take
place and help the fishing branch.
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