Anti-FMD vaccination drive ‘a big success’

The Undersecretary for Animal Resources at the Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, Dr Khaled Ahmed Hassan, revealed that as many as 30,000 animals were immunised against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and smallpox, during the three months from September to November 2019. 

He explained that 10,000 animals were vaccinated against smallpox including 9,900 sheep and 412 goats within the three months. With regard to foot and mouth disease, he stated that a total of 20,000 animals were vaccinated, including 11,000 sheep, 5,500 goats, and 3,700 cows. He stated that the livestock agency provides free immunisation services to all livestock farmers, in support and development of the animal production sector.

He pointed out that the vaccines used are manufactured in world-renowned companies whose quality has been tested to achieve the highest levels of efficiency and to reach high levels of immunity to repel any viral epidemic. On the other hand, the livestock agency revealed that it is determined to conduct continuous campaigns to control footand-mouth disease for 95 per cent of the total cows, sheep and goats present in the governorates of the Kingdom.

He pointed out that the campaign targets all animal farms in all governorates of the Kingdom, starting from the Northern Governorate with a high animal density, to other governorates with an aim to cover all animal farms across the Kingdom. The livestock agency said that the strategy of fighting animal diseases depends on the prevention of vaccination and epidemiological investigation to prevent the spread of any epidemic among animals.

He pointed out that the vaccination operations are the most effective way to protect herds of cows, sheep and goats from infection with communicable and incoming diseases (cross-border animal diseases) through the application of programmes. Immunisation depends on the epidemiological analysis of the map of animal diseases in the Kingdom.

He explained that these programmes aim to eliminate endemic and incoming epidemic diseases and protect livestock, in addition to protecting society from common diseases of animal origin. He stated that the Animal Resources Agency has adopted programmes to control footand-mouth disease and sheep pox and goat disease with vaccination, which are implemented periodically.

The programme to control foot-and-mouth disease with immunisation is implemented every four months, while the programme to combat sheep pox and goat disease is implemented annually.