The Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, on Tuesday, announced that imports of cattle and cervids from French regions affected by epizootic haemorrhagic disease will be banned until further notice. The regions where epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) has been detected are the Hautes Pyrénées and Pyrénées Atlantiques in France, and the surrounding areas (Landes, Gers, Haute-Garonne and Ariège, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Aude and Pyrénées-Orientales). The agricultural department underlined the need for importers of animals and animal products to contact the relevant central and regional departments of the Ministry in order to find out about the specific animal health conditions required by the animal health situation in the exporting country at the time of import, in accordance with Article 2 of Decree no. 2002-668 of 26 March 2002, which organises the work of veterinary surgeons and veterinary health control officers for imports and exports. Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease transmitted between animals by haematophagous biting insects of the Culicoides genus. It affects wild ruminants (especially cervids) and domestic ruminants (especially cattle and, to a lesser extent, small ruminants). However, the disease is not transmissible to humans. It was first detected in Tunisia and the Arab Maghreb in 2006. MHE causes symptoms very similar to those of blue tongue disease, with high fever, apathy, anorexia, lameness, mouth lesions and breathing difficulties.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse