Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak waning in Diyala, veterinary, official says

Shafaq News/ The recent outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Diyala has infected around 1,700 livestock, primarily buffalo, with dozens of fatalities recorded, a source told Shafaq News on Monday.

The source stated that FMD cases were detected in several areas, including Khan Bani Saad, Al-Abbara, Al-Muqdadiya, Al-Ghalibiya, Mandali, and Qazaniya. "Other livestock diseases have also been recorded in Iraq, but the situation remains manageable," the source added.

Diyala's chief veterinary officer, Mohammed Ghadban, confirmed that the province has moved past the critical phase, with a significant decline in infections and livestock deaths.

"The latest epidemiological report recorded suspected cases in around 50 buffalo, sheep, and cattle, but no new fatalities," Ghadhban told Shafaq News, emphasizing that "the drop in infection rates indicates the disease is receding, and Diyala has passed the danger zone."

He reassured that FMD is an endemic disease in Iraq, poses no risk to humans, and has a relatively low mortality rate among livestock, affirming that "the situation is under control, and there is no cause for concern."