The largest number of countries on the list lost their market opportunities due to sheep pox. These are four from Asia (Bangladesh, East Timor, Nepal and Pakistan), six from Africa (Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania and Eritrea), three from the Middle East (Afghanistan, Qatar, Palestine) and one from Europe (Bulgaria).
In connection with foot-and-mouth disease, imports of ungulates from Germany have been suspended. Thus, China has become the 13th country to introduce such a restriction. Let us recall that the cause was the first case since 1988, which occurred earlier this month on a farm in the eastern region of Märkisch-Oderland (Brandenburg). Three of the buffaloes kept there died from the disease. In the first days after the outbreak, Russia, Belarus, Argentina, Great Britain, Mexico, the Netherlands and Uruguay imposed a ban on the supply of live animals and products made from them from Germany, and later Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia and South Korea joined them.
It is also noted that the bans in relation to all 15 specified countries apply not only to animals, but also to the import of raw and processed meat products.
Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the most dangerous livestock diseases. It can cause mortality of 80 to 100 percent of young animals or 40 to 90 percent of adult animals, reduce milk productivity of cows by 50–75 percent, cause significant weight loss and contribute to abortions. Taking into account the above-mentioned losses, as well as expenses from the death of livestock and the implementation of epizootic measures, the losses of just one farm due to an outbreak of this disease can amount to several billion rubles. Goat and sheep pox can kill 10 to 20 percent of animals, and the amount of damage is several million euros. This damage consists of losses from reduced livestock productivity, and in the worst case, their death or forced slaughter of sick animals, as well as the costs of veterinary and sanitary and security and quarantine measures.