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Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in Japan

Thursday 22 April 2010, 8:13AM

By Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

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On Tuesday 20th of April 2010 the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Miyazaki, western Japan.

The last case of FMD in Japan was reported in 2000.

Japan has stopped signing export certificates for ruminants and products derived from them because of concerns that they may carry FMD. In the meantime, they are clarifying the type and extent of the FMD outbreak.

Products arriving at the New Zealand border that are identified as 'risk products' will be stopped and held by MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ). Decisions about the release of 'risk products' will be based on a number of criteria, such as production date and whether heat treatment has been carried out.

MAFBNZ is in the process of identifying and tracing all animal products imported from Japan in the last month.

Normal import conditions for animal products from Japan will resume when New Zealand is confident the outbreak of FMD in Japan has been eradicated