You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Africa North
The Crash Arrives: Egyptian Foot-and-Mouth problem spreads
2012-03-23
[AFP] - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Thursday warned of a major new foot-and-mouth outbreak in Egypt which could threaten the whole of North Africa and the Middle East.

"Urgent action is required ... to prevent its spread throughout North Africa and the Middle East, which could have serious implications for food security in the region," the UN agency warned in a statement.

In Egypt, official estimates speak of more than 40,000 suspected cases, with more than 4,600 animals, mostly calves, already dead.
According to the CDC
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is often confused with foot-and-mouth disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine. However, the two diseases are caused by different viruses and are not related. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.
This is a comfort, but F&M is nasty, rapidly spreading disease among cloven-hoofed animals.
While foot-and-mouth disease has circulated in Egypt for some years "this is an entirely new introduction of a virus strain known as SAT2, and livestock have no immune protection against it," FAO said. While foot-and-mouth disease has circulated in Egypt for some years "this is an entirely new introduction of a virus strain known as SAT2, and livestock have no immune protection against it," FAO said.

"With vaccines urgently needed, international and regional organizations are at the ready to assist in developing a regional prevention, preparedness and action plan," the organization added.

The UN body said it is working with the government in Egypt to bring the outbreak under control.

"The area around the Lower Nile Delta appears to be severely affected, while other areas in Upper Egypt and the west appear less so," according to Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinary Officer.

Farmers have been urged to limit animal movement, avoid buying animals, and to burn or bury the carcasses of dead animals.

According to FAO's livestock census data, 6.3 million buffalo and cattle and 7.5 million sheep and goats are at risk in Egypt.

Vaccines for the new virus strain are currently in limited supply and vaccination often takes up to two weeks to confer immunity, FAO said, while urging anti-contamination measures.
Posted by:trailing wife

#4  Polio is next up.

Welcome to deNile and the Great Vaccine Conspiracy.
Posted by: manversgwtw   2012-03-23 21:33  

#3  Your odds are better than Egypt's, g(r)omgoru.
Posted by: trailing wife   2012-03-23 16:47  

#2  Sure hope the folks who show up with the vaccine, or to train Egyptian veternarians, aren't Christian.
Posted by: Richard Aubrey   2012-03-23 16:31  

#1  I sure hope we (Israel) have enough vaccine.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2012-03-23 09:08  

00:00