A large number of vaccine doses has been acquired by the ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to fight against the foot-and-mouth epidemic hitting some Algerian provinces, the ministry said, adding that the vaccine has been distributed to seven regional laboratories.
According to the chief inspector of the ministry's Veterinary Department, Abdelmalek Bouhbal, the vaccine has been dispatched, at a first stage, to the National Institute of Veterinary Medicine which, in turn, will, distribute it to the regional laboratories of the provinces of Tlemcen, Mostaganem, Tiaret, Laghouat, Tizi-Ouzou, Constantine and Annaba.
"The 900,000 vaccine doses imported to fight the foot-and-mouth epidemic, will be distributed by the end of August," the official told APS.
Each province will have a quota according to the scope of the epidemic, which has been reported in 19 provinces so far, Bouhbal said.
"The epidemic has been brought under control in the provinces that had recorded the first cases (like Setif, Bouira, Bordj Bou Arreridj), and efforts are being made to prevent the spread of the disease to other areas."
The ministry, in a statement, said that more vaccine doses will be delivered to Algeria very soon.
Algeria has about two million heads of cattle, according to the Agriculture ministry's figures.