Turkey Halts All Livestock Markets To Battle New Foot-and-Mouth Strain
Turkey ordered an immediate nationwide shutdown of livestock markets on Wednesday after veterinarians detected a new strain of foot-and-mouth disease racing through herds in the weeks following the Eid al-Adha holiday. The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said the virus spread quickly as animals were trucked across the country for ritual slaughter, forcing officials to slam the brakes on all live-animal sales until every cow, sheep, and goat rolls up its sleeve—metaphorically—for vaccination.
“This decision was taken only to accelerate the control of the disease and is a temporary and preventive animal-health measure,” the ministry said, promising that restrictions “will be gradually removed by monitoring the disease situation.” All livestock auctions, fairs, and collection centers are shut, and the ministry is deploying vaccination teams to farms big and small.
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Foot-and-mouth disease does not threaten people, but it can decimate herds: infected animals develop fever, blisters, and weight loss, slashing milk yields and meat quality. Turkey has battled the virus for years, but officials say the newly identified serotype packs an extra punch, arriving just as the country’s livestock network was at its busiest.
The ministry insisted the move will not leave supermarket shelves bare, pointing out that existing stockpiles of meat and dairy can cover demand while the ban is in force. Past outbreaks in Europe have shown that swift market closures, combined with mass vaccination, can halt the disease within weeks—if the campaign keeps pace with viral spread. For now, ranchers will have to sit tight and let the vaccinators do their work.
