Rabat, Morocco (TMT)- The Moroccan authorities have heightened their vigilance in response to the threat of a potentially catastrophic situation for the country’s cattle. As the worst drought in 42 years has caused a drop in the number of livestock, authorities fear that the introduction of the deadly viral disease called Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease could have disastrous consequences.
To address the rising meat prices, Morocco has imported cows and calves from Spain and Brazil. However, Spain has reported cases of the disease, which is caused by a virus in the Reoviridae family and transmitted by Culicoides, a type of insect that is spreading the disease due to climate change.
The introduction of infected animals could lead to the spread of the disease in Morocco’s already vulnerable cattle population, which would be devastating for the country’s agricultural sector.
The Moroccan authorities are taking every precaution to avoid such a scenario and have initiated random tests to ensure that the imported animals are disease-free.
The Moroccan Times.
