MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina free of FAM with vaccination

Argentina was officially declared free of foot and mouth disease with vaccination by the Paris based International Epizooties Organization, OIE. However the decision actually applies to the north of parallel 42, since Patagonia has and continues to be free of FAM without vaccination.

According to the new OIE regulations the lifting of the ban means that the FAM virus has been eradicated but cattle must continue to be vaccinated and random blood tests taken regularly.

The OIE Scientific Committee worked on documentation presented by Argentine officials and other independent assessments. Eighteen months must elapse from the moment the scientific committee is satisfied with the report. If during that time any new cases or outbreak is reported the whole procedure returns to zero.

Argentina suffered a serious outbreak of FAM in the north of the country in March 2001 after having been declared free of FAM without vaccination in May 2000. With the outbreak of FAM Argentine beef was banned from 77 countries costing the country losses estimated in three billion US dollars.

Argentina is the fourth world beef producer and seventh exporter.