News
USDA receives $27 million in FMD vaccines
The first purchase of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccines has been delivered to the US.
Earlier this year, USDA announced the $27 million purchase and the shipment arrived last week. The National Pork Producers Council reports, while a good start, the shipment is not enough to settle a nationwide outbreak should one occur, so they look forward to working with USDA to ensure the FMD vaccine bank is adequately stocked – a priority outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill.
FMD is an infectious viral disease that affects cloven-hooved animals, including cattle, pigs and sheep; it is not a food safety or human health threat. The disease is endemic in many parts of the world and would have widespread, long-term fallout for livestock and crop agriculture, including the immediate loss of export markets.
