MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Aid to fight foot and mouth disease in Bolivia

Uruguayan president Jorge Batlle said it was essential to help Bolivia combat foot and mouth disease because the recent outbreaks in Mercosur countries originated in the Beni region in the heartland of this country. Presidente Batlle revealed that during the last Mercosur summit in Florianopolis, Brazil, Mercosur members offered Bolivian officials resources and technical aid to eliminate the disease that in the second half of last year spread to Paraguay, Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay. "Foot and mouth which is endemic in the Beni region jumps to the Paraguayan Chaco, from there to border areas with Argentina and southern Brazil, and finally to the northern frontier of Uruguay", explained president Batlle. Last October, Uruguay was forced to isolate and sacrifice all cattle and sheep in the northern most county of the country, while temporarily canceling beef exports to Europe, North America and Japan, fearing the possibility of a foot and mouth outbreak. In mid January, the International Epizooties Office in Paris, the world organization that rules over animal diseases, re instated Uruguay its full free of foot and mouth certification extensive to the whole territory. However president Batlle recalling the three months long plight that threatened Uruguayan beef exports, insisted it was vital for Mercosur beef industry and international reputation to fully implement all sanitary precautions and make a special effort in helping Bolivia to eliminate the Beni foot and mouth endemic focus.