Turkey: 217 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks detected

ANKARA

There have been 217 outbreaks of the newly found virus for foot-and-mouth disease since Sept. 29, Faruk Celik, minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Celik said 117 of these outbreaks had been controlled while 100 others are still active.

“We don’t need to panic, as we have been taking all necessary actions to keep the disease under control,” Celik said. These actions included vaccine production for the virus, he added.

Celik said the virus had first been detected in the eastern Van province of Turkey. Since then, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) around the affected area have been quarantined, and livestock is not permitted to either leave or enter the area.

Livestock in the area have been vaccinated, and livestock markets have been closed.

“We have produced 4.6 million doses of vaccine so far, and sent them to all the provinces,” Celik said.

"As foot-and-mouth disease has spread over several countries other than Turkey, the European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth disease (EuFMD) has taken action. The commission has requested five million doses of the vaccine produced by Turkey so far. We will do our best to battle this disease in these affected countries," the minister said.