MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

FAM outbreak in Argentina “eradicated”

Argentina's animal sanitary officials stated Monday that the foot and mouth outbreak reported last February in the northeast of the country had been “put under control and eradicated”.

The outbreak was first reported last February 5 in a model cattle farm "San Juan", in San Luis del Palmar, Corrientes province, close to the Paraguayan border.

"Following the outbreak's elimination and according to sanitary regulations, SENASA (National Agro-food Sanitary and Food Service) will gradually lift the interdictions on cattle movement in the counties involved in the periphery of the outbreak and the immediate vigilance zone", said the official release.

More precisely, the first movements will involve "cattle destined to the abattoirs and later on the movement of cattle among farms".

As to the origin of the outbreak the report indicates that "introduction of the virus" seems as the most probable cause.

For this reason SENASA has sent all the compiled information and procedures to the "federal Courts of Corrientes and Formosa", since the investigation points towards alleged irregular movements of cattle, which could have introduced the FAM virus and are beyond its jurisdiction.

A copy of the final report was sent to the International Epizooties Office in Paris and another to the members of the Permanent Veterinary Council and Panaftosa, which is the regional FAM monitoring office.

The first section of the report refers to control actions and the eradication of the outbreak while the second considers origin and causes.

An estimated 3.600 cattle were sacrificed in the farms where the outbreak was reported.