FMD in Iraq's Basra: Many livestock killed; farmers receive “no help”
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Basra Province has seen a significant number of livestock infected and dying from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), amid “weak” efforts to control the outbreak, according to a farmer.
The farmer from the Abu al-Khaseeb district, south of Basra, told Shafaq News, “The eight cows I raised contracted FMD, and I lost three of them after the concerned authorities failed to provide the appropriate treatment,” adding, “I informed the veterinarians about the animals' condition, but I did not receive the necessary help.”
The areas most affected by the disease, he said, are Al-Auja and Bab Tawil, with the breeders calling on the concerned authorities to provide the appropriate treatment and control the outbreak as much as possible to limit the losses they are facing.
"Infections are continuously increasing."
Two days ago, Riyadh Mohammed, the director of the veterinary hospital in Basra, announced that several FMD had been recorded in the northern areas of the province, urging citizens not to panic, as the disease has been endemic in Iraq since the 1930s.
As the virus continues to spread across various regions of Iraq, buffalo farmers are facing difficulties in disposing of dead livestock. Some have resorted to dumping the carcasses on public roads, raising the risk of further infection. Meanwhile, municipal and veterinary teams are working to collect and dispose of the carcasses, but delays in removal efforts leave the area vulnerable to additional outbreaks.
In response, the Ministry of Agriculture announced that measures to control the disease have been intensified, with all veterinary hospitals directed to continue monitoring and tracking cases.
