1. Dear Colleagues,

We have just received the enclosed letter from the president of the Moroccan Buiatrics Association with the request for assistance with the Pest outbreaks of small ruminants. I have found the followings in the FAO Corporate Document Repository.

2. Pest of small ruminants: A rapidly speeding disease

Peste des petite ruminants (pest of small ruminants) is caused by a virus whose antigen is closely related to that of the rinderpest virus. It is characterized by symptoms similar to those of rinderpest with erosion of the oral mucous layer as well as pulmonary lesions. It is found in Africa from the Sahara to the Equator as well as in the Arabian peninsula. In its epizootic form, it causes heavy mortalities and in its enzootic form, leads to a pneumopathic bacterial condition. Prophylaxis can be either through the use of a heterologous vaccine against rinderpest or a recently developed homologous vaccine.

3. We are not expert of this field therefore we would like to ask the National Associations

if they have any experience with the control of this disease to share their knowledge with the Buiatrics community all over the world. You can also send your remarks to me (szenci.otto@aotk.szie.hu) and I will collect them for the following newsletter.
Thank you very much for your efforts in advance.
Yours sincerely,

Walter Baumgartner                                       Ottó Szenci
president of the WAB                                secretary general

of the World Association for Buiatrics (WAB)

Many outbreaks of Small Ruminants Pest have occurred recently for the first time in Morocco. Our association was one of the Moroccan institutions that has reported quickly the information received from many Vet. practitioners  and posted it early in our web site (www.amabmaroc.org). Now it seems that there is a decrease tendency of the disease, according to the Moroccan official veterinary authority.  You can find the details of the official declarations to the "OIE" at the following address:

http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7255

For discussion purposes, we have created "Forums" in our web site to share information between veterinarians about the new disease and others. During our first scientific meeting (October 27th 2007), the PPR was, beside others, discussed as one of the possible emergent diseases that Morocco could face at any time, regarding its geographical distribution and difficult flocks movements control due mainly to successive drought periods (See details in  "Manifestations" ------> "Maladies émergentes" in the left column of our web site).

On the other hand, we are preparing the participation proceedings of our association to the WBC2008. For the moment, we have inserted the gallery photos of the Congress at our web site. 

I do know that August is in general a vacation period, but regarding the emergent circumstances in our country in such situations, I do not know whether it is possible or not  to send us as soon as possible your opinions, comments or articles (or tell us about other colleagues contacts) related to this disease and/or  other transboundary diseases in order to make them available for our veterinary community, focusing especially on the best ways and strategies to control these diseases and taking into account the socioeconomic reality prevailing in developing countries.

My personal best wishes and kind regards to you and also on behalf of the National Committee of the Moroccan Buiatrics Association (A.MA.B.)

Prof. Saïd ALALI
President of the Moroccan Buiatrics Association (Association Marocaine de Buiatrie) (A.MA.B.)
E-mail: amabmaroc@gmail.com / salalimeister@gmail.com
web:www.amabmaroc.org