Prof. MVDr Václav Kouba, DrSc.

participating as the Chief, Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)

when he was responsible for the global rinderpest eradication programme and its result

FAO message dated 20 September 2010: „FAO highly values your contribution towards rinderpest global eradication.“

Rinderpest

global eradication

Greatest historical achievement of veterinary medicine

Rinderpest is the first animal infection eradicated globally

and not only in susceptible species of domestic but also of wild animals.

This historic achievement ranked as the second in history

after the global eradication of smallpox in humans in 1980.

July 2011 Latest amendment on 20 January 2014

Rinderpest• The rinderpest recurred throughout history causing hundreds of millions of animal deaths that preceded

famines in Africa and Asia. The catastrophic consequences of the rinderpest caused in 18 th century the foundation of the veterinary profession, in 19 th century the establishment of public veterinary services and in 1924 the foundation of the International Office of Epizootics (OIE).

• The rinderpest has been registered in 114 countries of all continents, causing enormous economic losses. After the World War II there were remaining 66 rinderpest countries.

The initial programmes at local and national levels were gradually extended. In 1986 Animal Health Service of the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) after fixing final deadline – 2010 started global rinderpest eradication programme merging newly established regional projects in Africa, West Asia and South Asia. The final stage started in 1994 as FAO-GREP project finishing eradication in all remaining countries affected by the rinderpest.

The main method consisted in: active discovery of all outbreaks, immediate isolation of the places, where cases of

rinderpest were identified, followed by sanitary slaughter and disposal of all sick and suspect animals, thorough sanitation of infected environment and by a prolonged period of wide spread specific post-eradication serological surveillance.

More than 3 billion vaccinations of threatened populations played extraordinary protection role. Specific

vaccination was finished in 2006. During following surveys it had been no evidence of the existence of this infection in the nature.

• The largest and longest international anti-epizootic global programme against the most dangerous animal disease has been successfully completed before the end of 2010.

Rinderpest worldwide eradication is the best result in the history of veterinary medicine.

Main lesson: It has been proved the feasibility to eradicate specific animal infection in the whole world

starting n e w e r a of veterinary medicine – global veterinary medicine

considering global animal population as one epizootiological unit.

Rinderpest (cattle plague) had a long history

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Example: Bible, The Old Testament: Exodus 9: 1-7 „The plague of the cattle“

= „fifth plague of Egypt“ - during pharaohs‘ nineteenth dynasty (around 13 th century B. C.)

Herd of cattle dead due to rinderpest

(World Animal Review, Special Issue – Rinderpest, 1983, FAO)

Herd of cattle dead due to rinderpest (World Animal Review, Special Issue – Rinderpest, 1983, FAO)

Unloading bodies of dead cattle Dead cattle bodies in excavated pit for burial

Rinderpest morbillivirus

(included among biological weapons of mass destruction)

Rinderpest morbillivirus lineages

Rinderpest – small shallow haemorrhagic erosions (looking like bran): on the inner surface of the lower lips and on the ventral surface of the

tongue tip, Mongolia, 1964 (photo V. Kouba)

Rinderpest – haemorrhagic erosions on the inner surface of the lower and upper lips, the gums, and on the surface of the tongue,

Saudi Arabia, 1981 (photo V. Kouba)

Rinderpest – haemorrhagic diarrhoea, Mongolia, 1964 (photo V. Kouba)

Rinderpest – haemorrhages in the small intestine, Mongolia, 1964 (photo V. Kouba)

Rinderpest –haemorrhages in the gallbladder, Mongolia, 1964 (photo V. Kouba)

Rinderpest – map of all countries affected

(V. Kouba according to OIE WAHID 2009 data)

FAO EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin, No. 38 - 2011

Rinderpest – map of global eradication programme in 1986

(FAO archive)

FAO EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin, No. 38 - 2011

Rinderpest

FAO EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin, No. 38 - 2011

List of countries affected by rinderpest and years of reporting last cases (OIE World Animal Health Information Database - WAHID 2010)

• Africa: Angola (1962), Benin (1987), Botswana (1899), Burkina Faso (1988), Burundi (1934), Cameroon (1986), Central African Republic (1983), Chad (1984), Congo (1986), Cote d’Ivoire (1986), Djibuti (1985), Egypt (1987), Eritrea (1995), Ethiopia (1995), Gambia (1965), Ghana (1988), Guinea (1967), Guinea Bissau (1967), Kenya (2003), Lesotho (1886), Libya (1966), Mali (1986), Mauritania (2003), Mozambique (1896), Namibia (1907), Niger (1986), Nigeria (1987), Reunion (1902), Ruanda (1932), Senegal (1978), Somalia (1983), South Africa (1904), Sudan (1998), Swaziland (1898), Tanzania (1997), Togo (1986), Uganda (1994), Zambia (1896), Zimbabwe (1898).

• Americas: Bermuda, Brazil (1921).

• Asia: Afghanistan (1995), Armenia (1928), Azerbaijan (1929), Bahrain (1985), Bangladesh (1958), Bhutan (1969), Brunei (1950), Cambodia (1986), China (1955), Hong-kong (1950), India (1995), Indonesia (1907), Iran (1994), Irak (1996), Izrael (1983), Kuwait (1985), Japan (1924), Jordan (1972), Kazakhstan (1928), Korea (1931), Korea-DPR (1948), Laos (1966), Lebanon (1982), Malayasia (1924), Mongolia (1992), Myanmar (1957), Nepal (1990), Oman (1995), Pakistan (2000), Palestian Auton. Territories (1983), Philippines (1955), Qatar (1987), Saudi Arabia (1999), Singapur (1930), Sri Lanka (1994), Syria (1982), Taipei China (1949), Thailand (1959), Turkey (1996), United Arab Emirates (1995), Vietnam (1977), Yemen (1995).

• Europe: Albania (1924), Austria (1881), Belgium (1920), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1883), Bulgaria (1913), Croatia (1883), Czech Republic (1881), Denmark (1782), Finland (1877), France (1870), Georgia (1989), Germany (1870), Greece (1926), Hungary (1881), Ireland (1866), Italy (1949), Latvia (1921), Netherlands (1869), Poland (1921), Romania (1886), Russia (1998), Serbia and Montenegro (1883), Slovakia (1881), Slovenia (1883), Sweden (1700), Switzerland (1871), U.K./Great Britain (1877), U.K. Northern Ireland (1900).

• Oceania: Australia (1923).

Rinderpest – graph on number of countries officially reporting last cases during 1963-2003

(V. Kouba according to OIE WAHID 2009 data)

Rinderpest – graph on countries officially reporting last cases during 1963-2003

(V. Kouba according to OIE WAHID 2009 data)

The author introduced from 1988 periodical analyses of global rinderpest eradication campaign published in the FAO/WHO/OIE Animal Health Yearbook

Reported cases of rinderpest introduction

• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Country Year Yearbook Page Notes

• -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Iraq 1918 FAO Rinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998 import from India

• Syria 1920 FAO Rinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998 (persisted until 1934)

• Brazil 1921 FAO1978 38 imported zebu from India

• Jordan 1926 FAO Rinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998

• Italy 1949 FAO1983 70 zoological garden in Rome in imported animals

• Bahrain 1962 FAORinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998

• Saudi Arabia 1965 FAORinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998

• Yemen 1965 FAORinderp 42 1998 Rinderpest-the Challenge FAO Exp. Consultation 1998

• Saudi Arabia 1971 FAO1971 86 +<= +++

• Ivory Coast 1972 FAO1972 22 reintroduced through imported cattle

• Kuwait 1972 FAO1972 178 in trading cattle imported

• Libanon 1972 FAO1972 178 in trading cattle imported

• Jordan 1973 FAO1973 177 in quarantine of cattle imported from Africa

• Saudi Arabia 1974 FAO1974 102 +++

• Kenya 1976 FAO1976 6

• Bahrain 1979 FAO1979 102 in imported cattle only 100 % mortality

• Kenya 1980 FAO1980 6 <= last case among local cattle in 1975

• Kenya 1981 FAO1981 6 <=

• Iran 1982 FAO1982 179 imported by slaughter cattle from East Africa

• Kenya 1982 FAO1982 6 <=

• Oman 1982 FAO1982 179 imported by slaughter cattle from East Africa

• Saudi Arabia 1982 FAO1982 179 imported by slaughter cattle from East Africa

• Syria 1982 FAO1982 86 +! brought by slaughterstock

• UnitedArabEmirat. 1982 FAO1982 179 imported by slaughter cattle from East Africa

• Kenya 1983 FAO1983 6 <=

• Oman 1983 FAO1983 102 imported cattle

• Kenya 1984 FAO1984 6 <=

• Oman 1984 FAO1984 102 <= source of outbreaks: imported cattle

• UnitedArabEmirat. 1984 FAO1984 102 <=

• Bahrain 1985 FAO1985 156 in imported cattle

• Turkey 1991 WAHOIE1997 331 due to illegal movement of animals

• Iran 1994 WAHOIE1994 535 in fattening cattle illegally imported via the western borders

• Turkey 1994 WAHOIE1994 11 illegal import

• Eritrea 1995 WAHOIE1995 10 ox bought-market Asmara probably imported

• UnitedArabEmirat. 1995 WAHOIE1997 345 in cattle imported from a country of the Horn of Africa

• Turkey 1996 WAHOIE1996 12 throught illegal import-

• --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• FAO = FAO/WHO/OIE Animal Health Yearbook; WAHOIE = OIE World Animal Health Source: http:vaclavkouba.byl.cz/disintrod.htm

Example of author‘s involment as the Chief, Animal Health Service, FAO responsible for the rinderpest global eradication programme.

(Africa territory – PARC HQs, Nairobi, Kenya)

Dr Walter N. Masiga, Director, IBAR (Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resurces),Organization of African Unity, Nairobi, Kenya

Other example of author‘s involment as the Chief, Animal Health Service, FAO responsible for rinderpest global eradication programme.

(West Asia territory – WAREC HQs, Bagdad, Iraq)

Full text in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/rinderpestA.htm

FAO EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin, No. 38 - 2011

Management of rinderpest global eradicationunder the leadership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

• The demanding global rinderpest eradication programmes had different work/resources/time consuming phases:

• preparatory phase:• rinderpest etiology and epizootiology research and its results’ testing; field

investigations to identify all outbreaks and threatened territories; identification of control/eradication strategy, tactics and methodology (incl. diagnosis system based on laboratory investigations); feasibility studies and pilot testing; specific vaccine development, production and control; creation of necessary conditions (manpower, material, transport, funds incl. subsidies; logistics; public, legislation and political support; etc.); identification of specific objectives (incl. deadlines); attraction of donors; clearance procedures;

• starting phase; • intensive attack phase combined with protective measures including

vaccination; • elimination phase, • eradication phase and • post-eradication phase under continuing surveillance verifying freedom from

rinderpest and systematic evaluations. • All these inter-connected phases were exigent but very important depending on

the results of the previous ones.

• Complex system approach when applying action-oriented epizootiological principles was of extraordinary importance.

Global eradication of rinderpest represented a very difficult extraordinary complex problem to be solved being complicated by the fact that every case was different under different conditions requiring different practical application of established anti-rinderpest principles and target-oriented plans.

Before starting to write the proper project documents, there was a need for programme context and convincing justification of expecting result, i.e. situation at the end of the project. When preparing anti-rinderpest projects it must be considered not only the disease occurrence, its territorial localization, stage of development (bases for programme measures) but also domestic and wild animal populations of susceptible species size, structure and distribution. Target-oriented investigative activities provided necessary information on rinderpest occurrence before starting, during and at the end of the programme as well as during follow-up period. It must be considered veterinary service organization and its ability of anti-rinderpest actions. It must be considered influencing factors such as ecological, economic, social, cultural and political conditions as well as public, government and donors’ supports. In some country political instability or even war complicated anti-rinderpest programme. The grade of the demandingness was multiplied by the fact that the time-bound programme required to reach the eradication prior to the deadline what was much more difficult than before 1985 without fixed global deadline.

• Among the most difficult anti-rinderpest projects’ problems was to raise necessary funds for national as well as international programmes.

More information in: http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/rp_action3.htmhttp://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/Rinderpest-lessons.htmhttp://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/Rinderpest-CENTAUR.htm

Full text in: http://www.projects.its.czu.cz/ats/index.htm

Examples of anti-rinderpest activities of Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

REGIONAL FIELD PROJECTS BACKSTOPPED BY THE ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE DURING 1990

- Technical support to Pan-African Rinderpest Eradication Campaign (PARC)- PARC: Communication and Training (OAU Countries)- PARC: Training on National Communication Officers (OAU Countries)- Veterinary Vaccine Production and Quality Control in Africa- Technical Support for National Mass Communication Activities PARC- Improvement of Vaccine Production in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa- Communication Coordination (PARC)- Progr. regional de serosurveillance de la peste bovine- Western Asia Rinderpest Eradication Campaign Coordination (WARECC) -South Asia Rinderpest Eradication Campaign (SAREC)

ANTI-RINDERPEST MEETINGS ORGANIZED BY ANIMAL HEALTH SERVICE, FAO

1981: Joint FAO/OAU/OIE Meeting on Rinderpest Eradication in Africa1983:Second Informal Meeting on the Pan-African Rinderpest Campaign 1984:Expert Consultation on Rinderpest Diagnosis and Vaccine Production/Control1987:Expert Consultation on Global Strategy for Control and Eradication of Rinderpest1992:Expert Consultation on Strategy for Global Rinderpest Eradication1995:Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Planning for Rinderpest and other Epidemic Disease Emergencies in Africa

FAO PUBLICATIONS AND DOCUMENTS ON RINDERPEST CONTROL

1967: Diagnostic of Rinderpest1985: A Practical Guide for Rinderpest Campaign Field Personnel1986: Manual on the Diagnosis of Rinderpest1994: Quality Control Testing of Rinderpest Cell Culture Vaccine

FAO/WHO/OIE ANIMAL HEALTH YEARBOOK

Annual information on rindepest occurrence in individual countriesAnnual information on rindepest occurrence in individual countriesAnnual analysis of rinderpest occurrence changesAnnual analysis of rinderpest occurrence changesSpecial reports on regional (continental) anti-rindepest situation and activities:Special reports on regional (continental) anti-rindepest situation and activities: OAU/FAO Pan African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC)OAU/FAO Pan African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC) West Asia Rinderpest Eradication Campaign Coordination (WARECC)West Asia Rinderpest Eradication Campaign Coordination (WARECC) ReportReportss of FAO Regional Offices: for Africa (RAFR), Asia and the Pacific (RAPA) and Near East (RNE) of FAO Regional Offices: for Africa (RAFR), Asia and the Pacific (RAPA) and Near East (RNE)

Two former Chiefs, Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO):

Prof. Dr Václav Kouba (Czechoslovakia) with his predecessor

Dr Joshihiro Ozawa (Japan) (he initiated and launched in 1986 global rinderpest eradication programme, incl. forecasting its deadline - by 2010)

• Following Chiefs, Animal Health Service, FAO:

Dr Yves Cheneau (France)

Dr Joseph Maurice Domenech (France)

Dr Juan Lubroth (USA)

• all also responsible for global rinderpest eradication

• programme management and results.

Very important role was played by supporting departments of the FAO HQs headed by Director-Generals. The final phase of eradication was associated with the name Jacques Diouf, DG who this programme devoted special attention.

Examples of participating rinderpest specialists

• Kris J. Wojciechowski (Poland/Ireland), Senior Animal Health Officer (Virology),

• Animal Health Service, FAO HQs - in charge of FAO rinderpest projects

• J. Mark Rweyemamu, Senior Animal Health Officer, Animal Health Service, FAO HQs

• Walter N. Masiga (Kenya), Director, IBAR (Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resurces),

• Organization of African Unity, Nairobi, Kenya

• Amadou Samba Sidibe (Mali), Coordinator of PARC (Pan-African Rinderpest

• Eradication Campaign) in West and Central Africa

• Solomon Haile Mariam (Ethiopia), PARC (Pan-African Rinderpest

• Eradication Campaign) Project Leader and Coordinator

• Satish Chandra Mathur (India), FAO Project Coordinator,

• West Asia Rinderpest Eradication Campaign

Examples of other specialists participating in global rinderpest eradication programme

• Examples of International rinderpest reference laboratories

• Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, United Kingdom;• Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Muguga Laboratory, Nairobi, Kenya;• Institut sénégalais agricole, Laboratoire nationale de l‘élevage et de recherches

vétérinaire, Dakar, Senegal;• Plum Island Animal Disease Center, New York, USA.

W. Plowright, R.D. Ferris*), A. Provost, P.L. Roeder, M. Jeggo, J. Slingenberg, W. P. Taylor, A. James,, F. Njeumi, J. Otte, M. Sasaki, H. R. Raja, D.M. Chibeu, Ahmed El-Sawalhy, M. Rajasekhar, M. Hussain, A. Kamata, K. Tounkara, C. Bodjo, H. Unger, T. Barrett, M.D. Baron, G. Libeau, M. Bogal, N. Denormandie, S. Edwards, J.-F. Chary, G. Viljoen, V. Mádr, L. Dedek, J. Menšík, V. Rozkošný, J. Pearson, A. Shimshony, D. Sylla, A. Diallo, G. Libeau, A. Khan, P.C. Lefevre, G.R. Scott, S. Edwards, P.P. Pastoret, J. Nakamura, J. Mariner, K. Fukusho, T. Furutani,

H.I. Stoddart, V.G. Hinds, P. Gibbs and many others. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*) Plowright, W.; Ferris, R. D. (1962). "Studies with rinderpest virus in tissue culture. The use of attenuated culture virus as a vaccine for cattle". Res Vet Sci 3: 172–182

Examples of participating organizations• The programme required close collaboration with global partners such as:

International Office of Epizootics (OIE) providing disease occurrence information, standards for diagnostic tests and vaccine, pathway for declaration of a country as rinderpest-free, development of guidelines etc..

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) helping through “Joint FAO/IAEA Division on Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture” with rinderpest diagnosis using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques.

From the regional partners it must be mentioned at least African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) managing PARC programme (1986-1998) succeeded by the Pan African Programme for the Control of Epizooties (PACE).

French Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développment (CIRAD).

Close collaboration with rinderpest country governments represented an absolute condition.

FAO EMPRES Transboundary Animal Diseases Bulletin, No. 38 - 2011

• The Joint FAO-IAEA Division on Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture was helping developing countries with rinderpest diagnosis using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques.

• The rinderpest global eradication programme

• was implemented and/or actively supported by:

• governments of all rinderpest affected and threatened countries;

• hundreds of participating institutions:

• for national and international research,

• for rinderpest vaccine production and control

• veterinary diagnostic laboratories, etc.

• incalculable numbers of persons of many generations:

• veterinarians, animal health assistants and laboratory technicians of public and private animal health services

• veterinary researchers

• teachers and students of veterinary schools,

• zootechnicians, cattle/buffalo farmers and pastoralists,

• community, district, provincial and national authority officers and

• countless other collaborators

•

Finacial sources

• FAO rinderpest global eradication field projects were supported from different financial sources:

FAO Technical Cooperation Programmes (TCP) were funded from

FAO’ Regular Programme.

Outside sources:

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Trust Funds (TF), FAO/Government Cooperative Programme (GCP), Unilateral Trust Funds (UTF) etc.

Donors:

governments of Japan, United Kingdom, France, USA, Italy, Canada, Germany, etc.

numerous donor agencies such as European Development Fund (EDF), Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) etc.

several international banks.

Joint FAO/OIE Committee on Global Rinderpest Eradicationfinal report

Thirty-seventh Session of FAO Conference in Rome on 28 June 2011 adopted the Resolution containing the

“Declaration on Global Freedom from Rinderpest

and on the Implementation of Follow-up Measures to Maintain World Freedom from Rinderpest“.

• Declaration on Rinderpest Eradication

• The Conference of the FAO adopted the following Resolution:

• Resolution 4/2011 Declaration on Global Freedom from Rinderpest and on the Implementation of Follow-up Measures to Maintain World Freedom from Rinderpest

• THE CONFERENCE, • Mindful of the devastation caused by rinderpest, a viral

disease of cattle, buffalo and many wildlife species that led to famines, demise of livelihoods in Africa, Asia and Europe, and loss of animal genetic resources over centuries and of the crucial importance that its global eradication is widely acknowledged and the world protected from its re-occurrence;

• Acknowledging the successful collaboration of FAO with many Governments, international and regional organizations, the veterinary profession and the scientific community to achieve this ambitious goal, recalling its vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition, where the food and agriculture sectors contribute to improving the living standards of all in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner, and reiterating the global goals set out by the FAO Members to foster the achievement of this vision as formulated in the Organization’s Strategic Framework 2010-19;

• Recalling the establishment of the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases (EMPRES) in 1994, in particular its Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme, including a goal for worldwide eradication by 2010;

• Considering the announcement of the Director-General in October 2010 that the Organization had ended all its field operations after having obtained reliable and conclusive evidence that all countries were free from rinderpest and that the disease had been eradicated in its natural setting;

• Noting the conclusions reached by the Joint FAO/OIE Committee on Global Rinderpest Eradication and the adoption of Resolution 18/2011 by the 79th General Session of May 2011 of the World Assembly of Delegates of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE);

• Noting further the technical findings of FAO, OIE and IAEA concerning the evidence of rinderpest eradication;

• Acknowledging the responsibility of Governments to reduce the number of existing rinderpest virus stocks through their safe destruction, or through their transfer to internationally-recognised reference institutions:

• 1) Declares solemnly that the world has achieved freedom from rinderpest in its natural setting;

• 2) Expresses its deep gratitude to all nations, organizations and individuals who contributed to the fight against rinderpest and the successful eradication of the disease;

• 3) Calls upon FAO to assume its responsibility for undertaking the measures to maintain worldwide freedom from rinderpest, as recommended by the Joint FAO/OIE Committee on Global Rinderpest Eradication;

• 4) Encourages FAO to take full advantage of the rinderpest eradication achievement and apply the lessons learned to prevent and control other diseases impacting food security, public health, the sustainability of agriculture systems and rural development and

• 5) Urges all Members of FAO:

• a) to maintain, in accordance with the relevant provisions of OIE’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code, appropriate surveillance systems for rinderpest and immediately notify the OIE and the FAO/OIE/WHO Global Early Warning System of suspect or confirmed cases of rinderpest;

• b) to put in place and update national contingency plans consistent with FAO and OIE global guidance;

• c) to destroy, under the supervision of the Veterinary Authority, rinderpest virus-containing materials or assure the storage of these materials in a bio-secure facility in their country or, where applicable, assure their safe transfer to an approved laboratory in another country in agreement with the Veterinary Authority;

• d) to ensure that rinderpest occupies an appropriate place in veterinary education curricula and training programmes to maintain professional knowledge and adequate diagnostic capabilities at national levels; and

• e) to support all technical measures required to minimize the risk of rinderpest re-emergence, or its synthetic manufacture.

The author received on 1. August 2011 an e-mail from Dr Yoshihiro Ozawa (Japan), key international rinderpest virologist, former Chief, Animal Health Service, FAO who in 1980s initiated g l o b a l rinderpest eradication programme. He is shortly describing the background why the FAO official documents f a l s e l y informed that the global rinderpest eradication programme started in 1994 suppressing the truth about decisive stage work during 1980s:

• “Dear Vaclav,•  • It was very nice that we could meet in Rome to during the FAO session• in Rome on the eradication of rinderpest.  Although we could not have • enough time to talk about the history of rinderpest eradication, it was • obvious that the true history of rinderpest eradication campaigns was • not properly presented at the FAO Sessions.

•  I met Juan after the meeting (29 June) and expressed my disappointment • as to the way the FAO DG presented at the meeting emphasizing too • much on the activities in Africa and the GREP programme which started • in 1994. Juan Lubroth told me that Diouf was of the view that rinderpest• eradication was mainly achieved by the GREP Programme which started • by his own support. As he is leaving FAO in September, he wanted to • give impression that GREP was achieved by his own initiative.

•  To me the FAO ceremony  was not at all reflecting the true history of RP • campaigns which we started in 1980s.  I agree with you that we should • try to keep the true history of rinderpest campaigns.

•  When we met in Rome you showed me a chart showing the number of • RP cases in 1980s and 1990s. I hope you will publish the chart in a vet.• journal in the near future.  If you could kindly send me the draft chart by • email, it will be very much appreciated.

• Best wishes. Yoshihiro Ozawa”• ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------• Note: Author‘s protesting text sent to FAO HQs (by e-mail to Dr Juan Lubroth, Chief, Animal Health Service on 2.August 2011) can be

found in http://vaclavkouba.byl.cz/rinderpest-lessons.htm :• under „Amendment information – 1. Comments on Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme“.

Author recieved on 11 Dec. 2013 an e-mail from Dr Salomon Haile Mariam,

former PARC (Pan-African Rinderpest Eradication Campaign) Project Leader and Coordinator.

Initial paragraph see below:

Words of a top level expert appreciating the role of the author in the global eradication of rinderpest.

The global eradication of rinderpest in 2010 ranked as the second in history after the

eradication of smallpox in humans in 1980. Rinderpest, included among biological

weapons of mass destruction, is the first animal infection eradicated globally. It recurred

throughout history causing hundreds of millions of animal deaths. It was registered in 114

countries of all continents. After the World War II it was still reported from 66 countries in

Africa and Asia. After being available all necessary knowledge about rinderpest virus and

its circulation as well as enough anti-rinderpest measures’ experience and after long

preparatory period, started in 1986 the global programme of its eradication. The main

method consisted in active discovery, isolation and stamping out of all outbreaks

combined with mass vaccination of populations at risk and years-long active surveillance.

The conversion of theoretical methodology for rinderpest global eradication into practical

reality required an extraordinary complex of very demanding managerial measures’

system. It included objectives/deadline identification, planning, organizing, ensuring

material and financial resources, staffing, leading etc. This complex was represented by

an organization pyramid with inter-connected components’ structure having the basis at

rinderpest affected countries and its top at Animal Health Service, Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations responsible for technical assistance, global

coordination and leadership.

Conclusion