FMD outbreak in Iraq: 1.5M+ livestock killed in three years
Shafaq News/ The foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Iraq has worsened, causing hundreds of thousands of livestock to die over the past three years, an animal health expert revealed on Tuesday.
Veterinarian Iyad Abu Al-Jir told Shafaq News Agency, "FMD is not a new issue; it has been present in Iraq for a long time, and its spread has worsened due to neglect in combating it."
“In 2008, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government contracted a Russian lab to produce a vaccine, achieving 100% immunity and controlling the disease within 3 to 5 years,” he added.
However, the veterinarian noted, Haider al-Abadi's government reduced vaccinations to once every 18 months, while Adil Abdul-Mahdi's government returned to a twice-yearly schedule. Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s government halted vaccinations entirely for three years, leading to a major outbreak.
Regarding Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani's government, Abu Al-Jir confirmed, "It resumed using the vaccine imported during Al-Maliki's government, which is outdated,” adding, “The government should have contracted a new research lab to obtain fresh strains from animals and develop a more effective vaccine."
Iraq, according to the veterinarian, lost over 1.5 million livestock, including buffaloes, cows, and sheep, in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The disease causes heart failure in young livestock, leading to instant death.
