Livestock vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease in western Mongolian province

ULAN BATOR, Sept. 13– Over 640,000 heads of livestock have been vaccinated against the deadly foot-and-mouth disease in the western Mongolian province of Khovd, the provincial veterinary department said Monday. So far this year, the highly contagious viral livestock disease has broken out in 10 of the country’s 21 provinces, and more than 20,000 heads of…

ULAN BATOR, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — Over 640,000 heads of livestock have been vaccinated against the deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the western Mongolian province of Khovd, the provincial veterinary department said Monday.

The FMD is a viral infectious disease that spreads among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.

“Currently, 641,000 heads of livestock have been vaccinated against the FMD in our province. This means around 80 percent of all livestock that need to be vaccinated,” the department said in a statement.

So far this year, the highly contagious viral livestock disease has broken out in 10 of the country’s 21 provinces, and more than 20,000 heads of livestock have been infected with the disease, according to the country’s General Authority for Veterinary Services.

Efforts are being made to reduce the spread of FMD and vaccinate high-risk animals in affected and suspected areas, the authority said.

The livestock sector is a main pillar of the Mongolian economy with around 70 million heads of livestock in the country with a population of 3.3 million.

The landlocked country is striving to develop its livestock sector by raising meat exports in a bid to diversify its mining-dependent economy.

However, frequent outbreaks of livestock animal diseases such as FMD and mad cow disease are impeding the process.

The country’s meat exports have been suspended since June due to infectious animal diseases, according to the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Enditem