Risk of Foot and Mouth Disease From Imported Meat

摘要

The Senate parliamentary committee on rural and regional affairs has been told that beef imported from Brazil has been buried at Wagga Wagga tip. Twenty cartons of beef were imported, 18 were stored in Melbourne and two were sent to Wagga Wagga for testing. This was the first importation of beef from Brazil, which has been affected by the highly contagious foot and mouth disease (FMD). However there is a disease free zone which is permitted to send meat to other countries including Australia which has allowed imports from this zone since 1999. This was the first consignment of meat from Brazil. It seems incredible that Australia, as one of the few countries regarded as free from foot and mouth disease, would risk imports of beef from a country withknown foot and mouth disease. Foot and mouth disease is so dangerous and spreads so easily that to allow the imports puts the whole of the meat and farming industry at great risk.