Résumé
Chronologically, the Trypanosoma evansi infection in dromedary camels appeared in Europe for the first time in the insular part of Spain (Canary islands) in 1997 in a dromedary presenting the chronic form of the disease, then in France (departement of Aveyron) in 2006 following the importation of 5 camels from the infected island Gran Canaria and again in Spain but on the mainland (province of Alicante) in camels and some equines in April 2008. Surra in camels, being not an OIE listed disease like Surra in horses, was not officially reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Moreover, it was not inscribed in the national list of the dangerous animal diseases in Spain as it is the case in France. However, the situation was regularly followed in Spain thanks to the cooperation of colleagues of the Las Palmas University, responsible for the control of this outbreak. Their remarks were circulated through the annual reports of the NTTAT Group each year in May and to the OIE General Sessions. In particular, in 2005, the sudden increase of the Surra cases gave rise to a special warning in the report and was repeated in May 2006. In islands as on the mainland the same measures of control are used: after diagnosis (mainly blood smears, CATT and sometimes PCR) positive animals are treated with trypanocidal drugs (mainly melarsomine). Spraying of insecticides is also practised at the period of the activity of vectors. In France, the importation from Gran Canaria of dromedary camels of which one died from T. evansi infection triggered a considerable amount of surveys and research work, mostly carried out by the Trypanosome Laboratory in Montpellier and some by the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, during more than 2 years. Numerous data were obtained which were published or are still in press. As a conclusion, a legal provision from the Minister of Agriculture officially printed on 17 July 08 mentions: "Every animal recognised as infected (of surra) has to be slaughtered even if it was treated according to the therapy mentioned in the article 3 by any means of treatment and at any dose, this considering the lack of guarantee about the definite elimination of Trypanosoma evansi and therefore the lack of relapse". (This consideration denies every efficacy to any treatment of Surra. But, after checking the protocols of treatment carried out in 2006/07 it has been discovered that the weight of the treated camel - which was alone to relapse after trypanocidal treatments - was estimated completely wrong and, practically, the animal received only half the recommended efficacious doses of trypanocidal drugs; Its relapse occurred 10 months afterwards. Treated again at correct doses then followed monthly for 14 months, the same animal remained negative parasitologically, serologically (CATT and ELISA) and PCR. -) Sanitary progress in the control of Surra. A) Addition of Trypanosoma evansi infections to the OIE listed diseases and other diseases of importance to International trade: See/ Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animal 2008 (Published on 17th July 2008) Online: http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mmanual/A_summry.htm 2.1. Multiple species Chapter 2.1.1.7. Trypanosoma evansi infections (including surra) pp.352-360. B) Official information communicated to the OIE Delegates for France and Spain by the Director General of the OIE, Dr. Bernard VALLAT: - to obtain notification and applied control measures on the outbreaks of Surra in camels which occur in these countries; - to announce that camels are now classified "in the categoy of surra sensitive animals" since the latest OIE 76th General Session, May 2008. C) Recommendations of the "Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animal 2008". Serological surveys..." Estimates of predictive values of different serological tests indicate that enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detecting IgG antibodies are more likely to classify cor