Prevention strategies for control of Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus (CAEV) in Sardinia: Analysis of current rules

Sardinia has the highest small ruminant population in Italy and a thriving zootechnical farming that is a significant contributor to the internal economy of the region. The success of these farms mostly depends on freedom from serious epidemic diseases, specifically, infections caused by lentiviruses, i.e. Caprine Arthritis-Encephalitis Virus (CAEV). Recently several cases of CAEV have been reported in the region, causing huge damages of economic importance. After the notification of CAEV outbreaks, Sardinia passed the Decree no.45, 23rd September 2010 titled “Regional action plan 2010- 2012 against lentivirus diseases in caprine farms”. The Decree, in force only in Sardinia, deserves attention, given that in Italian legislation’s Veterinary Police Regulation (article 1 of President of the Republic’s Decree, 8th February 1954, no. 320) CAEV is not mentioned among the obligatorily reportable diseases so the participation to this plan is optional for all the owners/holders of small ruminants’ farms. On the basis of these considerations, the Authors analyze the rules contained in the abovementioned Decree, as well as other legal and scientific issues, in order to underline some obvious lacks. In particular, in the Authors’ opinion, the adhesion of the owners/holders of small ruminants’ farms to the Regional action plan should be obligatory for CAEV eradication in Sardinia, given the severity and the high risk of diffusion of the disease.