Belarus bans small livestock imports from Mongolia

MINSK, 30 September (BelTA) – Belarus has restricted the imports of animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease from Mongolia, BelTA learnt from the Veterinary and Food Supervision Department of the Agriculture and Food Ministry of Belarus.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, incidents of foot-and-mouth disease were registered in Dornod, Mongolia.

In this respect Belarus has introduced temporary restrictions on the import of live animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease, meat products and other raw materials made from susceptible animals, as well as hides and hoofs, offal, wool, lambskin, semen, embryos, milk and dairy products made from susceptible animals that include livestock, small cattle, wild animals, hunting trophies, fodder and feed supplements for animals, including supplementary feed and ready-made feed for dogs and cats that were made from raw materials originating from Dornod, Mongolia, as well as used equipment to breed, slaughter and gut animals.

Simultaneously Belarus cancels all previously issued permits for the import of the above-mentioned products from the region.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious disease that affects animals and human beings. The virus causes a high fever, blisters inside the mouth and on the feet. Humans can be infected with foot-and-mouth disease through contact with infected animals or consumption of infected animal products, but this is extremely rare. The disease cannot spread from humans to humans.

The Department also informed that incidents of sheep pox and goat pox had been reported in Zhambyl Oblast, Kazakhstan. Belarus has imposed temporary ban on the supplies of slaughtered and pedigree sheep and goats, wild, zoological and circus even-toed ungulates, animal products and killing products, supplementary feed and ready-made feed for dogs and cats that were made from raw materials originating from Zhambyl Oblast, Kazakhstan, as well as hunter’s trophies of susceptible animals.

Sheep pox and goat pox are highly contagious diseases. The virus causes fever and formation of lesions on skin and mucus membrane. Infection occurs through close contact with severely affected animals. Among most susceptible species are milk and fine-wool goats. The mortality rate makes up 2-3% with benign forms of pox and reaches 100% with hemorrhagic forms.