Foot and mouth disease comes to Maghreb

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said that an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which affects livestock and is highly contagious, has been developing in the Maghreb region since February, starting in Algeria and with isolated outbreaks in Tunisia and Morocco. The FAO said the problem was probably introduced to Algeria by infected animals from western Africa, where the disease is endemic.

The FAO said that due to the efforts of the concerned countries the disease is under control in the Maghreb, but added that the disease has now been shown to be able to cross the Sahara, which had acted as a natural barrier.

"Preventive measures in the Maghreb should be reinforced and epidemiological surveillance should be maintained" until the situation has returned to normal in the region, the FAO said.