MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay: A critical week.

Uruguayan officials consider that there's still a critical week ahead before "things begin to normalise" and the foot and mouth outbreak in the north of Uruguay next to the Brazilian border, which was reported in mid September, can be considered under control.

Using for the first time the "sanitary rifle", the Uruguayan Army shot and buried so far 22.000 livestock, (cattle, sheep and hogs) in a five kilometres radius of the farm where a sow and her suckling were first reported to have the dreaded virus disease. Although no cattle was found with symptoms, blood samples sent to the regional Foot and Mouth Disease Centre in Rio do Janeiro confirmed that they had been in contact with the disease, and could be in the process of incubating it. However by the time the results arrived Uruguayan authorities had cordoned off the county of Artigas with Army and river patrols, and no livestock in the area can be moved from their paddocks. Across the border Brazilian patrols are also controlling that no animal origin food enters or leaves Uruguay. In spite of the terrible losses, the quick and open response of the Uruguayan government to the crisis has had a positive impact overseas, most beef clients have announced they will resume purchases, Europe, Israel, Brazil and Japan while President Lagos during his visit to Uruguay made a similar announcement. It is expected that Nafta countries (USA, Canada and Mexico), that have become Uruguay's main purchaser, will lift the momentary ban by the end of the month. This week farmers in Artigas began to receive the first checks of the 2,5 million US dollars in compensations. Cattle prices have dropped 20/25% since the outbreak and the meat packing industry, with 15.000 tons stored, has been forced to leave hundreds of workers redundant.

Social impact.

The foot and mouth outbreak in Uruguay not only has had an overall impact in the cattle and beef industry, it also unveiled a whole way of life in the common border area with Brazil based in a completely "open economy", which is now threatened by the strict sanitary and military controls.

Residents along the open border between Uruguay and Brazil make their shopping wherever it's cheaper: traditionally Bra