Urgent measures to avert a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Bahrain were ordered yesterday by the Prime Minister.

So far 293 cases have been identified in 13 farms. Most infected cattle are only in the preliminary stages with no acute symptoms. But calves are at high risk, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa directed immediate precautionary measures to avert any potential outbreak.

A team has been assigned to check the livestock.

Works, Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry Under-Secretary for Agriculture and Marine Resources Shaikh Khalifa bin Isa Al Khalifa directed officials to intensify measures taken when the first case was discovered on February 23.

He instructed them to enforce measures, including cleansing, quarantine, immunisation and the establishment of buffer zones to separate infected animal farms.

He also directed that herds be immunised in the farms surrounding the affected area.

The Directorate of Agriculture and Marine Resources had announced that three cases had been found among 300 cattle kept in two farms.

The cases have been located in 13 livestock farms out of 250, which represent 5.2 per cent. - TradeArabia News Service