French livestock banned after first cases of foot and mouth confirmed

Poland has banned the transfer of livestock from France through its territory after the first case of foot-and-mouth disease in continental Europe was reported there. On Tuesday, Poland’s chief veterinarian Andrzej Komorowski said that the ban would come into effect today. Other actions, which are to eliminate risk of the disease, would be systemic cleansing of large farms and other places where animals are gathered. Transport of farm animals would be limited within 30-kilometers of the border. The chief veterinarian appealed to local governments to ban all farm shows and other similar events to prevent possible spread of the disease. Poland had already banned imports of livestock from most European countries, as well as imports of meat not processed at a temperature above 72 degrees celsius. (Reuters, Rzeczpospolita, p.B1) A.D.