Asia-Pacific

Malaysia hit by foot-and-mouth disease

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-03 20:00

BAHAU, Malaysia - The outburst of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has infected 95 cows in the main town of Bahau in the central part of the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia.

As many as 300 cows and goats was feared to be affected, a lawmaker told reporters on Monday when confirming the outbreak of the epidemic.

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Teo Kok Seong, state assemblyman of Bahau, said that the veterinary department of the Jempol district had given vaccine injections to the cattle kept within the radius of five kilometers from the epidemic center to prevent FMD from spreading.

However, she confirmed that the disease that has claimed the lives of three cows and three goats here was "imported".

According to local breeders, the Malaysian Veterinary Services Department have given six imported cows to three local families. The FMD was detected on Dec 22, 2010, but the epidemic control team arrived in Bahau on Monday.

It was learnt that most of the breeders here keep milk cattle.