Turkey Closes Livestock Markets Due to Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak

Turkish authorities have ordered the indefinite closure of all livestock markets in the country to contain a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak detected after the Lamb Festival in early June, according to the Turkish network NTV. "Genetic mutations of the foot-and-mouth disease virus have been found in samples taken from sick animals," states a communiqué from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. Days earlier, preventive measures were applied in the province of Hakkari, one of the country's main sheep breeding centers, and this Tuesday the livestock market in Gaziantep province was closed, according to the Turkish public agency Anadolu. According to NTV, the outbreak has been favored by the intense movement of animals—sheep and cattle—during the Lamb Festival, celebrated in the first week of July. During these dates, it is common for numerous Turkish citizens to purchase a sheep or a calf to ritually sacrifice ...