Fears foot and mouth disease will spread as it reaches Gaza Strip

A new strain of foot and mouth disease has reached the Gaza Strip and threatens to spread further after first being detected in Egypt and Libya in February, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation has said.

The group said sick animals had been detected on Apr 19 in Rafah, a town that lies on the border between the coastal Palestinian territory and Egypt.

Foot and mouth disease is a highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, and pigs. It is not a direct threat to humans.