Published Date: 2021-11-05 18:04:47
Subject: PRO/AH> Foot & mouth disease - Jordan: (AM) cattle, susp
Archive Number: 20211105.8699471
FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - JORDAN: (AMMAN) CATTLE, SUSPECTED
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Date: Fri 5 Nov 2021 14:26 EET
Source: Al Mamlaka TV ["The Kingdom TV", in Arabic, machine trans., abridged, edited]
<tinyurl.com/x4pbv4y3>
The Greater Amman Municipality announced the closure of the livestock market in the Sahab area for a period of 2 weeks starting on Friday [5 Nov 2021] morning, after it was confirmed that a herd of calves in one of the stalls adjacent to the livestock market has been found infected with foot and mouth disease (FMD).
The [municipality's] secretariat explained, in a statement, that the decision was based on a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture. The secretariat said that "this disease does not have any impact on public health", according to the letter of the Ministry of Agriculture, and spraying and sterilization operations will be carried out during the closure period.
Deputy director of the city for health and agricultural affairs in the Amman municipality, Mervat Mhairat, indicated through the "Kingdom" that the decision was a precautionary and preventive measure to prevent the disease from spreading to neighboring farms on the site, especially since the area is agricultural. She said that the disease has no effects on public health, but epidemiologically, if there is an infected area, the disease can be transmitted through clothing or droplets.
"Our role in the Amman municipality is only the halal market, which was established to serve farmers in the region to facilitate buying and selling operations. As for neighboring farms, it is one of the tasks of the Ministry of Agriculture -- and it takes the precautionary and preventive measures, including vaccination, monitoring, treatment and assistance to farmers," according to Mhairat. Mhairat expressed her hope that no other cases would be detected.
The Ministry of Agriculture said that "FMD has no effect on humans; the closure of the livestock market came out of caution." The ministry said in a statement, that it "observed one of the stalls selling calves near the livestock market in the capital, and during the periodic inspection, it was found that there was weakness in the calves, indicating unsatisfactory condition".
The ministry's cadres worked, in coordination with the administrative governor, to take samples and isolate the rest of the herd. Subsequently, it was found that some calves had FMD, according to the ministry.
The Minister of Agriculture decided to close the livestock market in Sahab, as it is close to the site of the infection, and to launch the work of the epidemiological investigation teams for a distance of 5 km [3.1 mi] in the vicinity of the site, as well as investigation teams in Madaba, Balqa and Amman. The ministry's cadres will vaccinate the nearby flocks. The ministry said that it has all the equipment required to deal with the disease and confine it to the focus of infection.
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[According to another Jordanian media report, citing the spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, "the infection was in a small number of imported calves, and work is underway to carry out a follow up, obtaining all relevant information about the event" (Saraya News, 4 Nov 2021, at <tinyurl.com/t2cj57zv>).
Results of the epidemiological investigations, in particular addressing the origin of the infected/imported calves and final laboratory confirmation, including the serotype and preferably also genotype of the causative agent, are anticipated. - Mod.AS
HealthMap/ProMED map of Amman Governorate, Jordan: http://healthmap.org/promed/p/57431.]
