Chief Veterinary Republic Inspector Vladimir Milijević attended a meeting held yesterday in Bijeljina regarding the implementation of necessary measures to prevent the occurrence of foot-and-mouth disease. Representatives of all relevant institutions at both the local and republic levels attended the meeting, including business owners and representatives of farmers’ associations.
Njegoslav Lukić, Assistant Minister for Veterinary Medicine in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of the Republic of Srpska, informed the attendees that the Ministry is undertaking all the necessary activities for prevention of and fight against possible entry of foot-and-mouth disease virus. The situation on the ground is being monitored daily, both in the countries in the region and in Western Europe. According to the recent information from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), 11 outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have been confirmed – one in Germany, six in Slovakia, and four in Hungary.
At the last week’s session, the Government of the Republic of Srpska adopted a Crisis Management Plan for the control and suppression of foot-and-mouth disease in the Republic of Srpska, which outlines measures to be taken in the event of an outbreak. Additionally, a republic-level crisis headquarters has been established, and all relevant institutions at both the republic and local levels have already received clear instructions on how to act in case of an outbreak.
