Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said on its website Monday an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been registered in the center-west state of Mato Grosso do Sul, near the border with Paraguay.

The national agricultural laboratory also confirmed that the disease was detected in samples taken from cows of the Vezozzo rural estate in Mato Grosso do Sul.

"Following the confirmation of the infection of 140 animals, all the recommended emergency procedures were adopted, including the isolation of the ranch and the collection of sample, which resulted in the identification of type-O virus," said the laboratory.

The government has ordered the inspection of rural properties within a 25-km radius of the ranch and a research into the origin of the outbreak, and 582 animals will be slaughtered.

Check points will also be set up to control the spread of the disease in Mato Grosso do Sul, one of the country's most important ranching regions.

No foot-and-mouth case had been reported since 1999 in Mato Grosso do Sul, which had been declared free of the epizootic through vaccination in 2001.

The ministry said it has reported the outbreak to the International Epizootic Organization, the Pan-American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center, Brazil's neighboring countries and its trading partners.
 
Neighboring Paraguay has adopted an alert plan along the Brazilian border following the outbreak. The case could also lead to the suspension of Brazilian and Paraguayan beef imports by Russia, one of Brazil's main market for the product.

Brazil is the world's largest beef exporter, with exports amounting to 1.459 billion US dollars per month in the first half of 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2005)