UN warns against tropical virus spread
Monday, 08 Oct 2007 16:11
Tropical diseases are spreading to temperate zones, UN warns
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Countries will have to invest more in surveillance and control measures to prevent the spread of animal viruses from tropical countries, the United Nations claims.
The warning is timely for the UK, which is experiencing its first outbreak of the animal disease bluetongue.
Usually bluetongue is confined to north Africa and the Mediterranean but is thought to have spread to northern Europe due to recent weather conditions.
Joseph Domenech, chief veterinary officer for the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said there is not one country which can "claim to be a safe haven with respect to animal diseases".
"Transboundary animal diseases that were originally confined to tropical countries are on the rise around the globe," he added. "They do not spare temperate zones including Europe, the United States and Australia."
The UN FAO believes animal diseases are spreading globally due to globalisation, the movement of people and goods, urbanisation, tourism and possibly also climate change.
Commenting on the spread of bluetongue, FAO animal health officer Stephane de la Rocque said: "We never expected that the bluetongue virus could affect European countries at such high latitudes.
"The virus is already endemic in Corsica and Sardinia but could also persist in northern European countries."
Other tropical diseases which are threatening temperate zones include West Nile virus and Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever. African swine fever has also reached Georgia and Armenia and, the UN says, poses a threat to neighbouring countries.