site.btaTurkiye Closes Animal Markets Nationwide due to Foot-and-mouth Disease Spread

The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has issued an alert for the risk of foot-and-mouth disease spreading in domestic animals. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) or hoof-and-mouth disease (HMD) is an infectious viral disease that primarily affects even-toed ungulates. In connection with the risk of the disease spreading throughout the country, a ministerial order has closed live animal markets in all 81 districts until further notice, the private news agency Ihlas Haber Agency reported.

The urgent ministerial order stated that due to the intensive movement of animals during the last Eid al-Adha holiday in early June, when animals are bought and slaughtered, an increase in FMD outbreaks in animals has been registered.

Quarantine measures have been introduced in the discovered FMD outbreaks, samples have been collected from the animals and movement in the affected areas has been restricted.

Antigens against the disease have been detected in the samples taken and vaccination in field conditions has begun. Due to the impossibility of vaccinating all ungulates in a short time, the measure to close live animal markets, including live animal exchanges, places for collecting and selling animals wholesale, inspections and negotiations was imposed, the announcement stated.