New Zealand to Kill 150,000 Cows to End Bacterial Disease
Local Editor
New Zealand is planning to slaughter some 150,000 cows as it tries to eradicate a strain of disease-causing bacteria from the national herd.
Politicians and industry leaders announced the plan Monday, adding that it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and, if successful, would be the first time an infected country has eliminated Mycoplasma bovis.
Farming is vital to the economy in New Zealand, whose isolation has helped protect it from some diseases which affect herds elsewhere.
Last July, Mycoplasma bovis was found in the country for the first time.
Found in Europe and the US, the bacteria can cause cows to develop mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis and other diseases.
The disease is not considered a threat to food safety, but causes production losses on farms.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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