Recently, we solicited our readers' cooperation by way of a questionnaire to let us know your evaluation of and wishes for our Newsletter. It is an attempt on our part to review our work and try to improve the Newsletter so it can serve to further deepen mutual understanding. We would like to take this occasion to thank our readers for their many responses to the questionnaire. Noteworthy feedback included a strong and widespread interest in the coverage of the livestock industry, ranging from the trade-related food safety subject of quarantine and quality inspection, to developments and improvements in employing new technologies such as cloning. As a first step in better serving our readers and improving the Newsletter, we decided to issue a special livestock edition, compiling articles on livestock published during the past year, in particular those on quarantine and quality inspection and application of livestock-related new technology.
Rice straw imported from China is suspected of being the probable source of contamination.
Various actions were taken to prevent further spreading of the foot and mouth disease, and after 187 days Japan recovered the status of a country clean of the disease, and got back in the business of exporting livestock products. The quarantine zone, an area with a 10-kilometer radius centered on a farm where infected and suspected infected livestock had been found on May 11, was verified as clear by May 25 as a result of blood tests conducted on the 139 households within the affected area. Further on site inspections were conducted on June 1 and 2, but no sign of infection was detected. As a result, the quarantine restrictions were lifted. Based on epidemiological and other tests as well as expert opinions thus far, authorities will pursue additional testing.