October 13, 2010

China to donate FMD vaccines to Mongolia

China would donate 100,000 doses of vaccine to Mongolia to help fight FMD in the eastern part of the country, the Mongolian government said Tuesday (Oct 12).

Enkhbbold Miegombo, Mongolia's deputy prime minister and head of the national emergency commission, said current efforts to fight the disease were not satisfactory.

Until October 1, 10 counties in Dornod and Sukhbaatar provinces have suffered outbreaks of the disease, but this had grown to 16 on Monday (Oct 11), Mongolian officials said.

The deputy prime minister said some officials in the provinces would be held accountable for incompetence in fighting the disease.

Currently, 20,550 out of 31,400 livestock animals in 16 counties were infected with FMD and 20,346 had been culled, said Orgil, chairman of Mongolia's veterinary service and livestock breeding agency.

About 2.4 million livestock animals have been vaccinated in the eastern provinces of Mongolia. Orgil added that Russia was ready to sell 600,000 doses of vaccine at an appropriate price.

The agency appealed to other countries and international organisations for help and asked for FMD vaccine and other necessary products. Some countries and international organisations have pledged to help Mongolia combat the contagious livestock disease.