Study On Animal Disease Regionalization In China

China is an important country for livestock industry with the largest meat production in the world. China's animal products have obvious price competency, but the meat export only account for 3.6 percent of that in the world. Animal disease is one of key factors influencing the sustainable development of animal production and the international competency of animal products. Zoning management of animal diseases is the common management pattern of animal diseases all over the world. So far, more than 60 countries and regions have been identified as disease-free countries and regions by OIE, mainly including foot and mouth disease (FMD) and other major diseases. These countries and regions have been favored in the international trade of animal products. The new revised Animal epidemic prevention law of People's Republic of China proposed that the zoning management of animal disease should be implemented in China. Therefore, it has important and realistic significance to conduct a research on the zoning of animal disease by taking the understanding of the disease occurrence and epidemic law as a start point for identifying special animal disease free zone and guiding the regional management of animal disease.The methodology of animal disease zoning was put forward in this paper based on the systemic analysis of the current situation of animal disease control in China. The dividing of major animal disease zone and the control strategy in various zones were focused on a discussion. At the aspect of zoning management of animal disease, the development strategy of constructing special animal disease free zone was studied.Firstly, the epidemic situation of animal disease, the establishment of control system and the technological development of control measures were comprehensively analyzed and summarized. At present, the continuous occurrence of animal diseases in China show that major animal diseases have not been effectively controlled. The special animal disease free zone of China is not recognized by the international community. Based on the comparison with developed countries, the problems existed in animal diseases control were advanced including unimproved emergency response mechanism; lagged control means in selected regions; unimproved control institutions grassroots; lower quality of staff of animal diseases control in poverty-stricken area; as well as unsound regulatory system.Secondly, the objectives, principles, classification system, zoning methods and zoning procedures of animal diseases were systemically studied. The occurrence and evolution of animal disease is a product of common action by natural and social elements, which exhibit regional feature and comply for natural separation law. By calculating the epidemic index of animal diseases, zoning of major animal diseases was conducted. The epidemic zones were divided into five grades, i.e. clean zone, sporadic zone, moderate epidemic zone, heavy epidemic zone and serious epidemic zone. The geographic distribution and epidemic characteristics of various zones were analyzed.Thirdly, the control strategies of different epidemic zone were proposed. Clean zone is the area firstly selected for eliminating the diseases and constructing special disease free zone. Therefore, killing campaigns is chosen as control measure,and it must be strictly implemented. For the sporadic zone, the control strategy is establishing disease-isolated area to ensure that animal diseases around the zone don't spread in the zone. Meanwhile, efforts should be made to change sporadic zone to clean zone by technological means such as vaccination. As for moderate epidemic zone, the export of animals and animal products should be strictly restricted as well as the availability in other regions so as to control the development and spreading of disease. In the heavy and serious epidemic zones which mainly distributed in boundary of China, the effect of foreign diseases, lagged economy, nationality and life style, international personnel exchange in big cities are the main reasons for the occurrence of animal diseases. The disease control in these zones should be undertaken by the country.Fourthly, the epidemic characteristics, regional distribution of five kinds of major animal diseases were studied, including foot and mouth disease (FMD), highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), swine fever, Newcastle Disease (ND) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). And based on summarizing the control experiences and elimination and cleaning methods in foreign countries, the thought way and measure were advanced to eliminate the above mentioned five diseases in China.At last, the development strategy of special animal disease free zone was studied. The main strategic measures advanced in this paper were as follows: i) to adjust the establishment of special animal disease free zone and encourage the large-scale breeding enterprises to construct the biological safety region; ii) to change the management mode of animal raising in disease free area to promote the degree of lager-scale and integrated production; iii) to enhance the capability of monitoring animal disease in disease free area to understand the epidemic situation; iv) to establish and improve the construction of tracing system in special disease free zone, and to strengthen the labeling of animal and animal products within the zone; v) to actively push forward the work of international certification and ratification.The policy recommendations advanced in the paper included: i) to formulate and implement the extermination plan of major animal diseases as soon as possible; ii) to further strengthen the emergency response capability; iii) to gradually deepen the reform of veterinary management system and improve the national veterinary officer system; iv) to further perfect the construction of special animal disease free zone; v) to formulate and improve the legislation on disease control.