Paraguay confirms new foot-and-mouth outbreak

January 3, 2012 in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Major beef exporter Paraguay confirmed a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease Tuesday in the north of the country, four days after lifting a state of emergency imposed in the region in September.

Daniel Rojas, head of the government's animal health service, said a "positive test result" of the highly contagious for cattle had been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

The authorities on Tuesday ordered the slaughter of about 150 cattle belonging to a rancher near San Pedro, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Asuncion.

The new outbreak was about 30 kilometers from an outbreak reported in September, which led to the slaughter of some 1,000 animals.

Paraguay, one of the 10 largest beef exporters in the world, suspended exports in September and had been preparing to resume sales to Russia, Brazil and Venezuela.

As a result of last year's outbreak, Paraguay's beef exports for 2011 fell to $700 million, from about $900 million the previous year.

One of the most contagious animal diseases known to scientists, foot-and-mouth (also known as hoof-and-mouth) disease infects mainly cattle and swine but also sheep and goats.

The disease can be spread by dust, animal-to-animal contact in , through consumption of contaminated animal products and even by farm implements and vehicles.

Although adult animals normally do not die from the disease, they must be destroyed once infected to keep it from spreading.

The government paid compensation last year to owners of the animals but this time will not, officials said.

Nestor Nunez, president of the Rural Association of Paraguay, criticized this as "punishment by example" for the cattle owner.

Officials said last year that a botched vaccine intended to protect Paraguay's livestock against was responsible for transmitting the ailment to hundreds of animals.

The prompted neighboring countries to ban the import of Paraguayan meat, livestock, and meat by-products to prevent the spread of the disease across international boundaries.

The agriculture ministers from six South American countries agreed in November to make the eradication of foot-and-mouth disease a regional priority.

(c) 2012 AFP

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

New research identifies practice changes to improve value and quality of GI procedures

There are significant cost and risk factors associated with two procedures commonly used to diagnose or treat gastrointestinal problems, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 44 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Consuming coffee linked to lower risk of detrimental liver disease, study finds

Regular consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an autoimmune liver disease, Mayo Clinic research shows. The findings were being presented at the Digestive Disease ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 1 hour ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New case of SARS-like virus in Saudi: ministry

A new case of the deadly coronavirus has been detected in Saudi Arabia where 15 people have already died after contracting it, the health ministry announced on Saturday on its Internet website.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 13 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Little evidence for prediction rules for low back pain

(HealthDay)—Few randomized clinical trials have been done to assess clinical prediction rules for patients with lower back pain, and the trials that have been done are of low quality and do not provide ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New malaria test kit gives a boost to elimination efforts worldwide

A new, highly sensitive blood test that quickly detects even the lowest levels of malaria parasites in the body could make a dramatic difference in efforts to tackle the disease in the UK and across the world, according to ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Ketamine shows significant therapeutic benefit in people with treatment-resistant depression

Patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic, according to the largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the ...

Research examines new methods for managing digestive health

Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) explores new methods for managing digestive health through diet and lifestyle.

New smartphone application improves colonoscopy preparation

The use of a smartphone application significantly improves patients' preparation for a colonoscopy, according to new research presented today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW). The preparation process, which begins days in ...

New research identifies risks, interventions for children's GI health

An increasing number of U.S. children are experiencing gastrointestinal issues that require interventions to resolve, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

US psychiatry gets makeover in new manual

The latest makeover to a massive psychiatric tome honored by some, reviled by others and even called the "Bible" of mental disorders is being released Saturday with a host of new changes.

AIDS science at 30: 'Cure' now part of lexicon

Big names in medicine are set to give an upbeat assessment of the war on AIDS on Tuesday, 30 years after French researchers identified the virus that causes the disease.