MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Free of Maedi Visna, soon?

The Chilean Agriculture and Livestock Service, SAG, is confident that in a near future the province of Ultima Esperanza in the extreme south of Chile (Tierra del Fuego and Magallanes) will be declared free of Maedi visna, a disease that affects sheep reproduction and which frustrated several ovine development projects in the area.

"The outbreak was first reported three years ago and we've had some complications but we're now in the last stage to declare the area free of Maedi visna", said Carlos Rowland head of SAG in Magallanes.

Mr. Rowland praised farmers, veterinarians and animal health staff for their dedication in eradicating the disease, but insisted that all efforts must be geared towards "prevention" and more "strict controls".

"We have to work for the protection of the unique phyto-sanitary conditions of our region", indicated Mr. Rowland who highlighted Argentina's efforts in combating foot and mouth disease that "since July, from parallel 42 south has been officially declared free of FAM without vaccination".

Argentine Patagonia is now in similar sanitary conditions to Chile and "there's no need to ban the crossing of Argentine cattle", said Mr. Rowland.

However the coming eradication of Maedi visna still has pending problems. The University of Magallanes is suing and demanding compensation from SAG for the closure of a pilot project to breed milk producing sheep in Ultima Esperanza involving almost 300,000 US dollars. The University claims SAG failed in detecting the Maedi visna infected sheep imported from Spain.

The first Maedi visna outbreaks occurred in mid Chile but by November 2000 had reached Chilean Patagonia forcing the closure and quarantine of six farms, five in Ultima Esperanza and one in Magallanes.

Regarding the recent outbreak of FAM in Bolivia and Paraguay, Mr. Rowland indicated that cattle crossing bans have been established in the upper north of Chile and imports of beef from the Argentine neighbouring provinces of Salta and Formosa have been cancelled. "For the rest, in the south everything is quiet normal".