OIE Reports FMD Outbreak Affecting Free-range Beef Cattle Herd
ISRAEL - Dr Shlomo Garazi, Chief Officer for Import and Export of the Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) affecting free ranging beef cattle in Hazafon.
11 April 2018
2 minute read
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification on Monday, 9 April. The outbreak was initially observed on 2 April and confirmed on Sunday, 8 April, after enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), pathogen isolation on cell culture and real-time PCR tests were carried out at the Kimron Veterinary Institute, a foot and mouth disease laboratory.
A total of 218 animals were found susceptible to the FMD virus (serotype O), out of which 50 animals were found affected. No deaths have been reported, and none of the affected animals were killed or disposed of.
According to the OIE, the affected population comprises free range beef cattle. The herd contains four different groups while only one of them has been affected. The affected group contains 80 dams, 30 calves and eight bulls.
All eight bulls, two calves and 40 dams showed clinical symptoms which are, in this case, only mouth lesions. No fever, mortality or other foot and mouth disease symptoms have been seen.
While the source of the outbreak remains inconclusive, the epidemiological investigation is ongoing.
Some of the control measures applied so as to prevent further outbreak of the disease include:
- Movement control inside the country,
- Vaccination in response to the outbreak(s),
- Surveillance outside containment and/or protection zone,
- Surveillance within containment and/or protection zone,
- Quarantine and
- Zoning.
None of the affected animals are to receive treatment.
TheCattleSite News Desk
