Jordan News

Provisional RP Free Status

From: Dr. Asaad Abu Ragheb
Director of Veterinary Department
P.O.Box 2395
Ministry of Agriculture
Amman-Jordan.
Telefax: 962 6 412 7901

Subject: Rinderpest

Date: 6th December 1998

Dear Dr. Blancou,

This is to inform you that the Veterinary Department, Ministry of Agriculture decided to halt vaccination and declare provisional RP free status from 1st January, 1998.

The last recorded cases of rinderpest (RP) occurred in 1971 (during 1969-1973 Near East Panzootic). Therefore, the Veterinary Department made vaccination compulsory for local and exotic breeds and vaccinated 31,000 cattle. Generally, annual vaccination of cattle were carried out till 1997. Sera were collected from non-vaccinated animals and were negative to the ELISA test. Also there were no reports of clinical cases of RP during this time. Therefore, we decided to halt vaccination and declare provisional RP free status. Following the outbreak of PPR that was reported officially at the Jordan Cooperative Organization in Mafrak governorate in 1993, vaccination of small ruminants with RP vaccine had been implemented since then. As Jordan has decided to declare provisionally free from Rinderpest, PPR vaccine is now used in small ruminants only.

Kind regards

Yours sincerely
Asaad Abu Al Ragheb
Director of Veterinary Department