March 8, 2006
Brazilian state to cull cattle
Brazil's southern farming state of Parana said it will begin culling cattle on Wednesday in areas infected with foot and mouth disease, four months after the first outbreak was reported.
55 countries have imposed a partial or entire ban on meat imports from Brazil since the announcement of the disease on Oct 10 in the cattle state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
The slaughter will begin with 143 animals on a ranch in the municipality of Maringa, the site of one of the seven cases. A total of 6,500 animals will be culled.
The disease causes sores around the hooves and mouths of cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and deer.
Brazil has the world's largest commercial herd of around 190 million head of cattle and is the world's largest exporter of beef. It shipped 2.3 million tonnes of beef worth US$3.1 billion in 2005.
Most of Brazil's productive regions, including Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana, are under a vaccination program aimed at preventing such outbreaks.