May 23, 2005

Foot and mouth disease outbreak under control in China
 

China had 32 cases of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in dairy cows in April, according to a USAD report. Immediate steps have been taken by the provincial authorities to stop the outbreak, and the government now declares the disease under control.

In Daiyue District of Tai'an City, Shandong Province, 17 cases were reported. The other 15 cases occurred in Huishan District of Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province.

All 223 dairy cows affected or exposed to the disease have been culled. The National FMD Reference Lab at Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, which is part of the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), confirmed all the cases are the virus Asia 1 FMD. The lab is the only FMD reference lab in China.

According to the official report, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces took immediate measures to stamp out the disease. The areas within a radius of 3 km of the outbreaks were isolated and animal movements were strictly controlled. 

The FMD-affected areas have been disinfected. All animals that are susceptible to FMD in the threatened areas have been quarantined. The source of the FMD cases is under investigation, says the government.