Two cases of foot-and-mouth disease have been discovered in the western Saudi port city of Yanbu, an agriculture ministry official was quoted by AFP as saying Wednesday.
"Two calves infected with the foot-and-mouth disease have been discovered in Yanbu and a commission, headed by Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, has been formed to prevent the disease spreading," the official told AFP.
The origin of the two calves was not revealed, AFP said.
The commission will include the ministers of agriculture, health, trade, economy and municipal affairs, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, announced Wednesday that eight news cases of the disease have been discovered Thursday in imported cattle, bring the total number of cases detected in the country to at least 22, reported the Emirati News Agency (WAM).
The agency quoted the UAE minister of agriculture and fisheries, Saeed al-Raqbani, as saying that his ministry has taken all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
"Our livestock is in good condition and the eight discovered cases have been found from the imported calves and their source of origin is not yet known, " said al-Raqbani.
In a statement to the UAE newspaper 'al-Khaleej', al-Raqbani said he has issued a decree subjecting all imports of animals and birds into the UAE to prior permission from the ministry.
Saudi Arabia and UAE have already banned cattle imports from the European Union over fears of mad cow disease.
A ban on imports of meat and dairy products from Britain has been in effect since the outbreak of the disease.
In the Middle East, there have been suspected cases of foot-and-mouth in Turkey and Lebanon, have not yet been confirmed.
Farming and rural tourism has been ravaged in Britain where vast swathes of countryside have been turned into no-go areas, with people asked to avoid all unnecessary journeys in affected regions.
On Tuesday, the disease was confirmed for the first time in France, prompting the US and Canada to temporarily ban meat and livestock imports from the EU – Albawaba.com
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