Following the World Organization for Animal Health (WOHA) report on the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in Myanmar, Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development issued a notice last week imposing a 90-day ban on cattle and buffalo importation from the country.
According to the WOHA warning, the FMD disease is now spreading throughout Myanmar. The major cause of the spread, according to notice, is the transport of sick animals, animals carrying the disease, and animal carcasses, mainly cows and buffalo.
The notice also contains two measures to prevent the disease from spreading to animals in Thailand.
The first is to stop importing cows and buffalo from Myanmar where the disease is prevalent at the moment. Second, to impose the cattle ban for at least 90 days from 1 March onwards.
FMD is a serious and highly infectious animal illness with a substantial economic effect. The illness affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, buffalo, and other ruminants with cloven hooves. Affected animals have a high temperature, which is followed by the formation of blisters, most notably in the mouth and on the feet.
Yet, FMD is said to be exceedingly rare among humans since the virus is sensitive to stomach acid, thus eating contaminated meat, except while in the mouth before swallowing, would not expose one to the disease.
Meanwhile, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam have recently issued a bird flu alert in response to two deaths and growing cases of the disease in Cambodia. The three countries have also discussed implementing measures to prevent a potential outbreak.
