Amman: The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that Jordan is free of bluetongue (BT), a disease that affects both wild and domestic cattle, as well as ruminants including sheep, goats, cows, buffalo, and deer.

In a statement to the Jordan News Agency (Petra) on Wednesday, Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Lawrence Majali denied that Jordan imported livestock from affected countries such as Iraq, Belgium, and the Netherlands. China was the first to learn about the disease and prohibited imports from the aforementioned countries.

BT is an infectious, non-contagious, vector-borne viral disease. It causes fever and ulcers in the mouth. In some cases, it turns the animal’s tongue blue and is fatal to the animal, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Source: Jordan News Agency