June 21, 2005

Russia to vaccinate cattle at the Chinese border

Large-scale vaccinations of cattle against foot-and-mouth disease will begin in Russia's Amur Region after the disease broke out in a village near the border with China. So far, about 250,000 doses of vaccine have been brought in to treat all the region's cattle.

Because the affected village of Busse is just five km across the River Amur from a Chinese village, investigations are still ongoing as to whether the virus originated from the Chinese side of the border.

Amur Region chief state veterinary inspector Aleksandr Reshetnikov said the disease can be carried by airborne means, spread by wild animals or in the exchange of food between the two countries.