FMD outbreak in Mosul threatens Iraq's animal wealth
Shafaq News/ A foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak among livestock in the Kawkjili area, east of Mosul, is posing a serious threat to the country’s animal wealth, MP Mansour Al-Muraid warned on Friday.
“I assessed the extent of the damage and met with breeders and local officials. The situation is dire, and veterinary support remains insufficient because of limited field team resources,” he said to Shafaq News, adding that he had informed the Minister of Agriculture and the Director-General of Epidemics of the urgent need for intervention.
The MP also said he contacted Parliamentary Agriculture Committee and the Epidemiology Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, urging authorities to provide vaccines and essential treatments to mitigate losses and support breeders.
He stressed that the local government in Nineveh must deliver the financial and logistical backing needed to help farmers and veterinary services. “Without prompt action, the outbreak could trigger an economic and agricultural disaster in the province.”
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Department announced it had managed to control the spread of FMD and reduce infection numbers.
Over the past month, the virus has reportedly killed thousands of livestock, prompting authorities to enter a state of high alert. The outbreak has contributed to a general decline in meat prices as consumers increasingly avoided meat products.
Omar Al-Hayali, director of Mosul Veterinary Hospital, confirmed earlier that strict measures had been implemented to halt the movement of animals west of Mosul following reports of FMD in Badush, where several buffaloes have died or fallen ill.
