Tuesday, June 19, 2012 -
A new deadlier strain of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has shown up in Kyrgyzstan and is killing even vaccinated livestock, Kyrgyz officials revealed late last week.
Kyrgyz deputies Ravshan Jeenbekov and Talantbek Uzakbaev warned parliament on Friday the disease has already wiped out a large number of animals.
As many as 4,000 head of cattle have died this year from the unidentified strain of FMD.
Samples are currently being examined by experts in Russia, they said.
“I have heard from farmers who do not know how to deal with this new form of FMD or how to treat their animals,” said Jeenbekov, according to the Global Meat News site.
Uzakbaev advised the government to attend to act quickly. If they do not, he warned, farmers will find themselves in a very difficult situation this autumn.
The discovery has also alarmed farmers across the border in neighboring Kazakhstan, where a large outbreak of a different strain of FMD was discovered earlier this month.
Kazakh veterinary services have so far culled around 800 animals and vaccinated another 8,000 head of cattle and ruminants since the outbreak came to light on June 6. They plan to vaccinate another 26,000.