The state is about to issue an administrative rule aimed at keeping the animal disease 'foot and mouth' out of Oregon. The Department of Agriculture plans to ask anyone bringing a dog or horse from an infected country, to thoroughly wash the animal and keep it quarantined for a period of time that has yet to be determined. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, ranchers and veterinarians are on high alert for this extremely contagious disease. On the desk of State Veterinarian Andrew Clark, there's a map of the world.
Arrows point to each outbreak of foot and mouth over the last four years.
Looking at the dates, it's easy to track the migration of the disease from Taiwan in 1997, across Russia and Southeast Asia, through India, Africa and up Europe to England. Clark says he wants to keep it that way, and he's very concerned. I think it's important for Oregonians to realize that if we had foot and mouth disease, it's not just a matter of the live stock industry being damaged, it's a matter of the entire state's economy being seriously damaged. And make sure you're not in contact with any cloven hooved animals. The Agriculture Department also has a ban on the import of any cows, sheep or pigs, as well as certain meat and dairy products.