ROME, 4 March 2011: A team of animal health specialists from FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has arrived in North Korea to assist veterinary authorities there in responding to outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth disease among pigs and cattle.
The group consists of a veterinarian specializing in Food-and-Mouth (FMD) and transboundary animal diseases, a logistics officer and a laboratory technician fielded by the UN food and agricultural agency (FAO), and a veterinarian specialist in disease management from OIE.
North Korean veterinary officials are also participating in the mission, which is a collaborative effort between North Korea and the two organisations.
The aim of the mission is to assess the situation on the ground in order to provide situation-specific guidance and technical assistance to North Korean veterinary officials to help them contain outbreaks and stop further spread of the disease.
