January 11, 2011

Bulgaria to kill cattle,pigs due to foot-and-mouth disease

More than 500 animals that include cattle and pigs will be culled in a southeastern Bulgarian village after a case of foot-and-mouth disease has been found there, vet authorities said Monday (Jan 10).

"Some 37 samples out of 1,600 taken from domestic animals tested positive for foot-and-mouth. The positive tests are from sheep, goats, cows and pigs, bred in the village of Kosti, where a wild boar which tested positive for the disease, was shot," the National Veterinary Service said.

To prevent the highly contagious disease from spreading, the authorities in the Balkan country will start culling all animals in the village close to the border with Turkey.

The European Union country has already closed livestock markets and banned the transport of live animals in five southeastern regions, including the Black Sea ports of Varna and Burgas, after the disease was reported in a wild boar last week.

Bulgaria has set up special headquarters to deal with the outbreak and contain the disease, which does not harm humans but can be economically damaging as it is very contagious and costly to eradicate.