Brasília - Around 250 thousand head of cattle in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul are receiving booster shots in the vaccination campaign against hoof-and-mouth disease. The booster shots are being given as a result of the appearance of cases of rhinotracheitis, a bovine viral respiratory infection, which generally presents milder lesions than hoof-and-mouth disease.

According to the Secretary of Agricultural Protection, Maçao Tadano, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply decided to work together with Paraguayan sanitary officials in the area of animal health.

Government representatives from the two countries established a Brazil-Paraguay frontier commission for bovine health surveillance. "The technical personnel will help us with the field work, so that we can gather more information about cases of respiratory infection in the Paraguayan herd," Tadano informed. The first meeting of the group is scheduled for next Tuesday (31), to discuss the activities to be carried out by the Brazilian and Paraguayan technicians.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Bianca Estrella
Translator: David Silberstein
08/27/2004