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Foot and mouth disease sets foot in China

by Medindia Content Team on Jan 2 2006 11:46 AM

After the much talked about bird flu in Asia there comes news from China about the foot and mouth disease. The Ministry of Agriculture of China has given the info that an outbreak of Asia Type One foot-and-mouth disease on a farm in Changqing District of Jinan City, capital of east China's Shandong Province, has occurred.

The incidence was reported when some cattle on the farm began showing symptoms of bad appetite and fever. The situation became severe when 48 cattle fell ill by Dec. 25.

The outbreak was official and confirmed by 29 Dec. Initial tests by the provincial veterinary bureau showed positive for the disease, but the agency on Dec 26 reported the case as a suspected outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects cattle, swine, and other cloven-hoofed animals.

The response was culling of 91 cattle in the affected farm; this was made public by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The action was taken by the provincial officials who disinfected and quarantined the farm where the outbreak occurred, and ordered inoculations for the animals in the area.

As a measure in 2005 alone, China killed thousands of cattle to stop the outbreak of the Asia type 1 foot and mouth disease.


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