The National Institute of Animal Health (NIAH), NARO, announces it will provide technical support in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and other transboundary animal diseases (TADs) for Mongolia through the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
FMD is one of the most feared livestock diseases: it is highly infectious and a serious threat to the economic value of livestock.
An outbreak of FMD occurred in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, in April 2010. Though there was huge economic damage, the outbreak was contained through appropriate prevention procedures being carried out by everyone concerned. Japan was accredited as an FMD-free country by the OIE in February 2011.
The NIAH, which is the only institution providing definite diagnosis of FMD in Japan, has been designated as a collaborating center of the OIE. The NIAH decided to provide technical support to the State Central Veterinary Laboratory (SCVL) in Mongolia to improve the diagnostic techniques for FMD and other TADs through the twinning project, which has been approved by the OIE.
This support will provide appropriate prevention strategies against FMD and other TADs and decrease the economic damage caused by the diseases in Mongolia. It will make it possible to reduce the risk of FMD and other TADs throughout Asia and reduce the risk of dissemination of these diseases to Japan from abroad.
