May 25, 2010

 

Japan to cull seed bulls amid FMD outbreak

 

 

The Japanese government said that 49 seed bulls in Miyazaki Prefecture will be destroyed to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) there, even though local authorities wanted to keep the animals alive.

 

The decision was confirmed at a meeting between Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano and senior vice farm minister Masahiko Yamada. Earlier, Yamada suggested he would not diverge from the established health rules.

 

However, he noted that there is some semen of the bulls left, hence it will be possible to nurture new seed bulls, and the Miyazaki beef brand will not disappear.

 

Meanwhile, examinations started Monday (May 24) on cows and pigs in Ebino, Miyazaki Prefecture, to determine whether it is safe to lift the ban on transferring livestock around the area.

 

If the animals are confirmed safe, the ban, covering a 10-km radius from the sites of reported outbreaks in Ebino, will be lifted June 4, allowing the transfer of livestock to resume.

 

A central government task force and the prefectural government have authorised blood and other tests for 160 farms located within 3km of the farm where the city's first suspected case of the highly infectious disease was found April 28.

 

About 40 veterinarians will collect blood samples from up to 30 cows from each of the farms during the three-day examination process, and will observe health conditions of pigs and cows in other parts of the 10-km radius.

 

The last positive case in Ebino was reported May 13.

 

Also, the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry decided to let operations resume at a meat processing centre located within 10km of where the outbreak was confirmed in Ebino, on condition that sterilisation is fully implemented.

 

The decision came under the government's policy of creating a "buffer zone" for safety at locations within 10-20km of areas hit by the disease.

 

The processing centre is inside the area where the transfer of livestock is restricted and has been closed since last month.

 

Meanwhile, the Miyazaki Prefectural government has been calling for a review of the central government's plan to slaughter the 49 prized seed bulls, but Yamada has said he does not intend to make an exception.