November 23, 2007

Ukraine bans meat from Cyprus

Ukraine has imposed a ban on imports of meat products and live animals from Cyprus due to discovery of foot-and-mouth disease on the island, Ukraine's State Department of Veterinary Medicine said on November 22, 2007.

The ban came after the International Epizootic Bureau confirmed an outbreak of the disease on the territory of Cyprus.

The imports of other products from Cyprus will be monitored and controlled by Ukraine's veterinary authorities.

The State Department of Veterinary Medicine prohibited shipments of animals from North Korea over concerns of foot-and-mouth disease in March 2007, as the Ukrainian News Digest reported earlier.

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which affects cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, is a highly contagious viral illness that can spread through minimal contact with infected animals, farm equipment or meat.