Infectious cattle disease causing great losses for cattle farmers – Countries of the region ban the import of live cattle, meat and milk from Serbia

The countries of the region have banned the import of live cattle, meat and milk, that is, animal products from Serbia, following the outbreak of the infectious cattle disease – nodular dermatitis or “lumpy skin”. The Ministry of Agriculture has declared the municipalities of Bujanovac and Bosilegrad to be affected areas, and the Pcinja district to be an endangered area. The Government of Serbia has formed the Operational Headquarters for coordinating the implementation of measures for preventing, combating and eradicating nodular dermatitis.

The disease does not endanger humans, but it causes great losses to cattle farmers, as 44 purebred cows had to be put down in a week on the Bujanovac territory. The European Commission has approved to Serbia 50,000 vaccines to fight the lumpy skin disease, and the vaccination is expected to start on Monday, June 20.

The disease had previously come to Serbia from the countries of the region, so Serbia banned the import of cattle and beef from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Macedonia in mid-May.

Among the key measures for combating the disease are early discovery, restriction of movement, preventing illegal transport of animals and putting down the infected cattle. The measures are being undertaken in accordance with the standards and directions by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

M.A.

Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i vodoprivrede Republike Srbije

Udruženje za poljoprivredu, prehrambenu industriju, šumarstvo i vodoprivredu PKS

Privredna komora Srbije

Ministry of Agriculture and Envirnomental Protection

cattle import form Serbia

animal products import

nodular dermatitis

lumpy skin disease

Operational Headquarters for coordinating the implementation of measures for preventing combating and eradicating nodular dermatitis

lumpy skin disease vaccines

European Food Safety Authority

EFSA

World Organization for Animal Health

OIE