Initial FMD Task
Force Meeting Held
The inaugural meeting of a newly established
BVI Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) Task Force was held at the
Central Administration Building on 4 April. Top officials attended
from the Attorney General Chambers, Chief Minister’s Office,
Customs, Immigration, Environmental Health, Agriculture, Trade
and Promotion, and Solid Waste Departments. Additionally, representatives
from the BVI Ports Authority, Tourist Board, and Chamber of Commerce/Hotel
Association were in attendance. The Task Force is examining
contingency methods that should be implemented if the animals
here get infected by FMD.
FMD is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and
South America, with sporadic outbreaks in disease-free areas.
Countries affected by FMD in the past twelve months include Butan,
Brazil, Columbia, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, orea, Kuwait,
Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Namibia, ussia, South Africa, Taipei,
Tajikstan, Uruguay and Zambia. The last major outbreak of the
disease in the EU was in Greece last year.
Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are susceptible to FMD and some
wild animal such as hedgehogs, coypu, rats, deer and zoo animals
including elephants can also become infected.
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