http://www.boston.com/dailynews/129/world/Brazil_to_vaccinate_13_million:.shtml

Brazil to vaccinate 13 million cattle to halt foot-and-mouth disease

By Associated Press, 5/9/2001 17:58

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) A southern state's entire herd of 13 million head of cattle will be vaccinated to prevent the spread of highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease, the government said Wednesday.

The announcement of the vaccinations in Rio Grande do Sul was made at a news conference by Agriculture Minister Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes.

The government had originally planned to vaccinate some 4 million head of cattle after 11 cases were detected over the weekend in Rio Grande do Sul, near the border with Uruguay.

''The only animals so far infected are the 11 in Santana do Livramento,'' Paulo Pons, a spokesman for the Agriculture Ministry's livestock protection division said referring to the region where the outbreak occurred.

In other affected South American countries, Argentina has confirmed 291 cases and Uruguay 190. Both are conducting massive vaccination campaigns, with Uruguay vaccinating its entire herd of 10 million.

In Britain, more than a million animals have been condemned to slaughter in an attempt to contain the outbreak, and restrictions have been imposed on tourism events and the movement of animals.

The United States has been free of the disease since 1929.

The disease, which generally strikes sheep, pigs, goats and cows, does not pose a danger to humans.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001