Last update - 00:00 22/08/2007
Cattle vaccines sent to West Bank to prevent epidemic
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Israeli veterinary services on Tuesday transferred thousands of vaccines to the Palestinians amid growing concerns that isolated cases of cowpox and plague will spread through the West Bank.
Israel sent 113,000 vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority, and as many as 700,000 will be delivered in the coming days.
The diseases, which sicken cattle and sheep, have so far affected herds south of Mount Hebron, near Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin. But there are concerns the problem could become an epidemic endangering all livestock in the PA.
"These diseases have killed animals in the West Bank, and even though at this stage the numbers have been limited, there could be a significant economic impact on the farms throughout the West Bank if this matter is not dealt with," said Dr. Samir Moadi, in charge of agricultural affairs at the Civil Administration.
Moadi, however, said there is no concern that the diseases will enter Israel because of the way they are spread.
Earlier this year, Israel assisted the PA in countering an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.