Criticism grows on Brazillian FMD control

Only last week results from routine FMD blood tests on just under 10,000 head of cattle in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso found that 382 head on 55 farms proved positive.
 
Serious concerns were also raised about the Brazilian vaccination programme on farms. On 62% of the farms where cattle reacted positively to the tests, farmers had not vaccinated all the animals on the farm as specifically requested by the federal government.

 

Preventive isolation measures have now been imposed in the counties of Eldorado, Japorá and Mundo Novo in the heart of Mato Grosso do Sul.

 

Over the past month there have been conflicting reports on possible FMD outbreaks in Paraguay on ranches located just 20 km from its border with the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Despite Paraguayan officials reporting that it was a bacterial infection and not FMD, officials in Mato Grosso attempted to close the 400 km of border between themselves and Paraguay.

 

Since FMD affects any hooved animal like pigs, sheep, deer or goats, pork trade from Brazil has already been suffering from heavy declines. More than 50 countries have already suspended their pork trade with Brazil - including Russia, in 2005 the largest buyer with 400,000 tonnes pork from Brazil.