AMMAN — The
Jordanian Veterinary Association (JVA) placed the blame on the
Ministry of Agriculture for the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease
among the country's cattle herds, according to Ammon News.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement on Saturday, the
JVA said
it has been monitoring the situation for over a month and has found the
preventive epidemiological measures in the Kingdom to be lacking.
The association alleges that animals
are entering Jordan without proper lab testing or quarantine measures, and it
is voiced its concerns about an area in the south of the Kingdom that allows
for the entry and re-export of herds without ministry oversight.
Since the beginning of the
outbreak at the end of 2022, 1,478 cattle, or 1.6 percent of Jordan's 92,000 cows, have
become infected, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s latest statistics.
Regarding the reported deaths of
cattle, the ministry confirmed that the disease does not cause deaths, but
instead causes fever which may lead to a sudden decrease in milk yield.
The virus is typically only lethal
in calves, the ministry said.
‘Neglect’The JVA, in a statement, stated that
it warned about the dangers of neglecting quarantine measures, leading to the
recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, “which has not been seen in the
Middle East for over 20 years”.
The association alleges that animals are entering Jordan without proper lab testing or quarantine measures, and it is voiced its concerns about an area in the south of the Kingdom that allows for the entry and re-export of herds without ministry oversight.
The areas affected by the outbreak,
including Dhuleil, constitute “over 80 percent of the Kingdom's dairy cow
herds,” the statement said.
The JVA has called on the
responsible authorities in the ministry to take action, including facilitating
the entry of appropriate vaccines, cooperating with veterinarians in the field,
and avoiding past mistakes.
The association is demanding that
measures be taken to stop the current chaos in the epidemiological situation
and to establish a decisive policy in guiding the situation.
Not transmitted to humans
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture,
Khaled Hneifat also on Saturday, reassured the public that foot-and-mouth
disease, does not pose any risk to humans, according to Khaberni.
In a statement on Saturday, Hneifat
emphasized that the disease is not transmitted through milk or meat products too
humans.
He added that the disease is endemic
to the region and the Jordan is “prepared to deal with it”.
The ministry is taking action to
limit the spread of the disease and will provide a booster vaccine dose in
addition to being prepared for the possibility of a new strain appearing.
A damage control committee has been established by the ministry to study farmers' losses and to assist with reduced interest loans from the Agricultural Credit Corporation.
A team of experts has been assembled
to verify the strain of the disease and results will be reported within two
days, he said.
Hneifat also reported that no cases
of the disease have been recorded in sheep or cows outside of Dhuleil and
surrounding areas.
Damage controlA damage control committee has been established
by the ministry to study farmers' losses and to assist with reduced interest
loans from the Agricultural Credit Corporation, he added.
To ensure the implementation of the
ministry's plan of action, meetings with associations in the Dhuleil will be
held every three days.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a viral
illness that affects a variety of animals, including cows, pigs, goats, sheep,
elephants, and mice, but is usually non-lethal.
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