MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Joint anti FAM disease program in critical border area

Foot and mouth disease multination sanitary missions will begin acting in the second half of March along the common borders of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia, where FAM is endemic revealed Uruguayan authorities.

Francisco Muzio head of Livestock Services at the Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries said that border area, in the heart of South America, has seen for the last decade a reiteration of the same FAM virus strain. "The Agriculture Council of the South, made up of Mercosur member countries, is meeting this week in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to address the issue and decide on definitive measures. All the region's agriculture ministers and heads of animal health departments will be present", said Muzio. The Council agreed on Santa Cruz for the meeting since Bolivia is going through a dramatic situation with great tracks of land flooded and the loss of over 70.000 head of cattle in the province of Beni. "Although the FAM outbreaks in Santa Cruz were under control, with all the flooding it's hard to see how the situation will evolve, so that's why we decided an on the field approach", indicated Muzio. Last December a special sanitary mission from FAO's Animal Health World Organization (IEO) visited the region and came up with several proposals to combat FAM in the common border of Paraguay with Matto Grosso do Sul in Brazil and the triple border area in Chaco, shared by Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. "A scientific committee from IEO requested that the four countries involved consider the proposals and come up with their own suggestions to ensure an effective control of the controversial border area where FAM is endemic", said Muzio. "Now a committee from six countries of the region, including Uruguay, together with the Panamerican FAM Centre and the IEO should begin to implement the road map for the joint monitoring in the area", added Muzio. The high risk area under surveillance includes a 15 kilometers wide strip of land along the shared borders in the four countries and "represents a significant step to ensure effective controls and a timetable of goals to build on". Mercosur Free of FAM program is funding the initiative which with the help from veterinarians from all countries involved should enable a strict monitoring of a common border area in countries with a high risk of viral circulation and structurally weak sanitary programs", emphasized Muzio.