Official: 400 cases of F&M confirmed in Saudi-Arabia

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Mar 19, 2001 - 03:49 PM

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAK6FDOIKC.html

Official: 400 Cases of Foot-and-Mouth Confirmed in Saudi Arabia

The Associated Press

Fair use for educational purposes only!

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Saudi Arabia has confirmed 400 cases of foot-and-mouth disease, a Ministry of Agriculture official said Monday.

The disease was first confirmed in Saudi Arabia earlier this month and has spread quickly among imported cattle, a ministry official said. The government is vaccinating cattle in areas where the disease has struck.

Authorities fear it will spread to dairy farms, cutting into the country's milk supply. The ailment - which is rare in Saudi Arabia - poses no threat to human health but causes sickness and weight loss in herds of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, 16 sheep have died from foot-and-mouth disease and 25 others have been infected in the Ras al-Khaimah Emirate in the United Arab Emirates, said farm owner Mohammed Mansour Ali.

Officials in the Emirates say only eight cases have been confirmed so far, but according to news reports Sunday, farmers have killed 151 animals suspected of being infected.

On Monday, the Emirates banned the import of all cattle, goats and sheep from Pakistan, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mongolia, China and South Africa, in addition to most European and African nations.

AP-ES-03-19-01 1548EST © Copyright 2001 Associated Press.

-- Swissrose (cellier3@mindspring.com), March 19, 2001

Answers

I just wish when they mentioned cloven hoofed they would mention goats in there too. Interesting info.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), March 19, 2001.

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