Foot-and-mouth outbreak

KATHU: An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease discovered in Baan Mai Riab is now under control, according to Samart Jaranyanont, Chief of Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO). The PPLO was alerted to the presence of the disease on February 12 by a veterinarian who discovered the disease among a herd of water buffaloes. PPLO officers discovered that 67 animals had been infected. Seven have died. They therefore banned the movement of any livestock to or from the area in order to contain the spread of the disease. As a further measure, PPLO officers vaccinated all livestock within ten square kilometers including 55 cows, 136 buffaloes, 25 goats and 1,263 pigs. K. Samart told the Gazette that the public is in no danger as the disease only affects cloven-hoofed animals. He also stressed that the meat from infected animals is safe to eat if cooked thoroughly or marinated in alcohol.