UB BANS ENTRY OF LIVESTOCK FOR 28 DAYS

Ulaanbaatar Mayor and Head of Ulaanbaatar Emergency Commission (UEC) S.Batbold decided on August 28 to prohibit the entry of livestock to the capital due to livestock disease outbreaks.

He stated, “The capital issued eight guidelines related to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and took preventive measures accordingly. However, we failed to prevent its outbreak. This is directly linked to work ethics and responsibility. Especially district mayors need to strengthen their countermeasures.”

Quarantines have been placed in two epicenters of FMD in Ulaanbaatar to control its spread. In particular, outbreaks were recorded in Songinokhairkhan District’s 22th khoroo on July 23 and in Khan-Uul District’s 10th khoroo on August 26.

As of August 28, there were 438,327 livestock in the capital and almost 17,000 of them are kept in livestock prohibited areas, UEC reported.

The city administration prohibits locals from keeping livestock in the 12th, 13th, and 14th khoroo of Khan-Uul District, every area of Songinokhairkhan District except the 21st and 32nd khoroos, and some areas in Bayangol, Sukhbaatar, Chingeltei and Bayanzurkh districts.

Ulaanbaatar General Manager and Head of Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office T.Gantumur shared that according to the results of a survey conducted in these quarantined areas, 602 families are violating the city rules by raising 16,704 livestock in these areas. Officials met with these families and convinced 257 families to move to a permitted area. So far, 2,683 livestock have been moved from prohibited areas, as reported by T.Gantumur.

According to Head of Ulaanbaatar Veterinary Office A.Narantuya, livestock that came into prohibited areas without getting vaccinated are all affected by FMD.

Authorities have placed quarantine for an area of 12 square km at the epicenter in Khan-Uul District, where nearly 2,000 residents of 865 families live and a general school and kindergarten operate. Khan-Uul District Mayor J.Aldarjavkhlan informed that two infected cows of a resident from the 10th were eliminated on August 28. Songinokhairkhan District Mayor J.Sandagsuren, on the other hand, reported that they have eliminated 168 infected cows to date.

After reviewing the current FMD situation, Mayor S.Batbold gave the

following orders to district mayors amd officials.

• District mayors and associated officials must not allow livestock to enter or pass through the city for the next 28days, starting from August 28.

• UEC members must work under a special regime and hold meetings every day to report on the situation until the spread of FMD has been completely contained.

• Everyone must pay extra attention to disinfection and sterilization work.

• UEC members must examine every livestock in the capital and check the effectiveness of previous vaccinations.

• District mayors must stimulate their operations for preventing and combating FMD.

• The public must be updated on the situation and given warnings without delay.

FMD was completely eliminated in Mongolia in 1973 until it reemerged in eastern provinces in 2000 and broke out in the capital in 2001.