August 21, 2006

The Netherlands stops cattle, sheep exports on health scare

The Netherlands government has stopped all exports and movements of live cattle, sheep and goats following an outbreak of a highly contagious animal disease known as bluetongue, a European Union spokeswoman said Friday (Aug 18).

European veterinary experts will be testing samples of infected material in the EU's central laboratory in Weybridge, England, spokeswoman Antonia Mochan said.

The disease cannot be passed on to humans, she said.

"It does not affect human health."

Bluetongue is a disease passed on by midges that can be fatal for ruminant animals, especially sheep.

The disease was found on a farm in the southern Dutch city of Kerkrade, near the German and Belgian borders.

A Dutch government spokesman said earlier Friday there are no plans to cull animals and that the export ban could last a week or more.