Neglected zoonoses situation in Nepal

Dr. Vijay Chandra JhaProgramme Director

Directorate of Animal Health, Kathmandu, Nepal

Introduction• Nepal is a landlocked country, which shares

national boundary with Tibet of China in the north and India in east, west & south.

• The total area of the country is 147,181 square kilometers with 26.4 million human populations.

• Nepal has diverse agro-climatic and socio-economic characteristics.

Geographical distribution

Sixty six percent of the population engaged in agriculture

Livestock is an integral part of complex farming system (livelihood, food security, nutrition, Agricultural operation, soil fertility, transport etc.)

Contribution of Livestock

31% of ADGP and 13% to GDP

Importance of Livestock:

Livestock Population of Nepal

Species Population

(millions)

Cattle 7.2

Buffalo 5.1

Goat 9.5

Sheep 0.87

Pig 1.1

Poultry 45.1

Duck 0.4

Situation of Neglected Zoonoses in NepalDISEASES No. of outbreaks in

2014Incidence rate

Anthrax 4

Brucellosis 4 Overall 0.52% in cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat,

1.03% in human

Cysticercosis Prevalent but not reported

Echinococcosis 14 5.1% in dogs

Leptospirosis Overall 10.5% in cattle and buffalo, goat, sheep and pig

1.55% in human

Toxoplasmosis 7 17.8 % in cattle and buffalo, goat, sheep

3.14% in human

Japanese Encephalitis 1.14 % in pigs, Prevalent in human

Situation of Neglected Zoonoses in NepalDISEASES No. of outbreaks in

2014Incidence rate

Salmonellosis 25 19.3 % in poultry

Leishmaniasis Visceral leishminiasis prevalent in human

Tuberculosis 2 Overall 5.4% in cattle & buffalo

Campylobacteriosis Prevalent in repeat breeders cows and buffaloes

High chances of disease transmission in weekly livestock market

Description of veterinary services

• Directorate of Animal Health (DAH) play major role in enforcement of legislations, diagnosis, prevention and control of animal diseases of economic(including HPED) and zoonotic importance

• Central and Regional Veterinary Laboratories provide laboratory diagnostic services in area of animal health and veterinary public health

• Veterinary Public Health office under DAH running the annual program on control the zoonotic diseases

Diagnostic capacity

Existing in-country network of labs

Regional Labs Avian Lab CVL FMD Lab

Central (CVL/VEC/DAH DLS)

Local

Livestock Service Centre/Sub-Centre

Private Veterinarian or Owners of Domestic Animals

Outbreaks/ Suspected cases of notifiable disease

①Notify

Disease Control Guidelines

Other Prefectural

Government

Other Prefectural

Government

RDLS/RVL/NAL

②Notify ③ Report

④ Order for Control Measures

②NotifyDistrict Livestock Services Office

National Disease Notification System

Activities at Central Veterinary Laboratory

• CVL also works on epidemic investigation as well as surveillance and investigation on various diseases in its approved annual programme.

• CVL works with a series of laboratory test procedures through its various laboratory units; Pathology, Parasitology, Microbiology, Serology, Haematology and Biochemistry units and Molecular Diagnosis with a considerable progress in the later.

Activities at Central Veterinary Laboratory…..

• At present the molecular based diagnosis of Avian Influenza is in advance level and in routine use.

• Similarly, setting up of tissue culture laboratory unit is in progress and expected to conduct virus isolation, identification and sero-typing in future.

• CVL has developed standard Operating Procedures, test protocols and quality guideline manual.

• CVL has already been adopting test verification system through international reference laboratories which will help in the accreditation of CVL for international certification as well.

Existing Diagnostics Facilities

In CVL

• Rapid Test- Flu A, ND, IBD, JE, Rabies

• HA/HI Test (For Flu A, H5, H9, ND)

• Real time RT PCR & Conventional PCR

( Flu A,H5, H7 and H9)

Diagnosis ….

ELISA Test

• Antibody detection test (Flu A, CAV, AEV, IB,IBD, JE, ND,EDS, H1N1, PRRS, Leptospirosis, Toxoplasmosis and PPR)

• Antigen detection test (ALV, PPR)

• Agglutination Test ( Brucella, Salmonella, Mycoplasma)

• Virus isolation- ND, Fowl pox

Diagnosis ….

In NAL & All RVLs

• Rapid test - Flu A, ELISA

FMD and TADs lab

• ELISA Test – FMD, Bluetongue and CSF virus lab test, PCR for FMD diagnosis

National Animal Disease control plan

• National PPR Control Program

• National FMD Control Program

• National ND Control Program

• National Classical Swine Fever Control Program

• National HS/BQ control program

• There is no any specific control plan for neglected zoonoses

Present Legislation on Animal Health

• Animal Health and Livestock Services Act,

1998

• Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection

Act, 1998

• Nepal Veterinary Council Act, 1998

• Animal Feed Act

Regulations based on these Acts

• Animal Health and Livestock Service Regulation, 2000

• Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Regulation,

2001

• Nepal Veterinary Council Regulation, 2001

• Bird Flu Control Order, 2008

New acts in pipeline

• Veterinary Drug Act

• Animal Welfare Act

Acts in the process of amendment

• Animal Health and Livestock Services Act

• Slaughterhouse and meat inspection Act

• Veterinary Council Act

Constraint on prevention and control of zoonoses

• National zoonotic diseases control programme is lacking

• Surveillance plan not in place for priority

zoonotic diseases except HPAI

• Laboratory diagnostic capacity for priority zoonotic diseases not adequate

• Budget constraints

Strength or Weakness in terms of NZD

Strength

• Provision of disease control related act

• Laboratory support available

• Veterinary service organization set up is up to local level

• National prevention and control plan for the priority zoonoses such as Leptospirosis, Toxoplasmosis, Echinnococcosis, Hydatidiosis and Brucellosis is being formulated

• Zoonotic control project supported in diagnostic capability including supply of diagnostic equipments, reagents and training to the staff working in laboratory and epidemiology field of both animal health and public health sectors.

Strength or Weakness in terms of NZD

Weakness

• Priority neglected zoonotic disease control plan lacking

• Insufficient trained human resource

• Irregular supply of reagents

• Existing legislation on infectious diseases control needs to be amended

• Collaborative approach on zoonotic disease control is lacking

• Poor linkage with animal health and public health

• One health approach is very weak

• Two way and four way linking of lab and epidemiology is weak

A Scene from Mustang district of Nepal

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