The nationwide monitoring network has shown no sign of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in China now, said Wang Changjiang, an official with the Bureau of Animal Production and Health under the Ministry of Agriculture.

China has banned the import of cloven-hoofed animals and their products from the FMD-hit countries, such as Britain, Holland, France and India, according to the State Administration for Entry- Exit Inspection and Quarantine.

Each province at the country's boundary has imposed immunity vaccinations on cloven-hoofed animals since 1999 and a 30-to-50- kilometer exclusion zone will be formed if any neighboring country reports a foot-and-mouth epidemic outbreak, Wang said.

Foot-and-mouth disease affects cloven-footed animals, including sheep, goats and cows. The disease causes blisters to form on the mouth and feet, fever and loss of appetite. It is not usually fatal, but animals are slaughtered to stop its spread.

Transmission to humans is extremely rare, but possible if a person is in close contact with an infected animal, Wang said.

"But FMD isn't dangerous to humans," he added.

The risk of the spread of FMD has increased due to the booming international trade, tourism, the movement of animal products and foodstuff recently, said a statement by UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The statement also urged countries worldwide to promote strict control over the possible introduction of FMD, such as vehicles and tourists.

(People’s Daily 04/13/2001)