MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay declares sanitary emergency because of outbreak of FMD

Livestock movement and transport in Paraguay strictly regulated

Paraguay declared on Wednesday animal sanitary emergency in the district of San Pedro, 400 kilometres north of the capital Asuncion where this week an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was confirmed in a farm.

Decree 8.270 also activates the Animal Sanitary Emergency which spells out strict livestock control measures to combat the virus.

The emergency was requested by the National Animal Quality and Health Service, Senacsa, following the confirmation of several FMD cases in a farm belonging to Gustavo Trugger.

The whole area has been isolated by Senacsa and other measures are being implemented to avoid the expansion of the virus to other parts of the country.

The new emergency declaration comes into effect a week after having lifted a similar emergency which corresponds to another outbreak last September in the same San Pedro district.

Until two weeks ago Paraguay was gradually recovering from the consequences of the first FMD outbreak with its direct impact on the meat industry, together with soy beans the country’s main sources of income.

The new FMD outbreak means Paraguay must wait for another 18 months before the country can recover its original status of free of FMD with vaccination.

On Tuesday Brazil announced it will continue purchasing Paraguayan beef, but not from cattle in the San Pedro district.

Mercosur neighbours and also strong beef exporters Argentina and Uruguay have implemented stricter controls along their borders to prevent the virus from spreading.