France says cattle disease under control as farm protests continue
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A farmer stands next to a fire as French farmers and supporters gather at a roadblock to protest herd culling after a suspected case of lumpy skin disease at a nearby farm, as authorities enforce stricter measures to contain the highly contagious cattle d
PARIS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - France said on Monday the lumpy skin disease affecting cattle is under control in the country even as farmers continue a second week of protests against the government's handling of the virus by blocking highways with tractors and dumping manure.
Lumpy skin disease is a virus spread by insects that affects cattle and buffalo, causing blisters and reducing milk production. While not harmful to humans, it often results in trade restrictions and severe economic losses.
French rules require the entire herd be culled when an outbreak is detected, a measure some unions consider excessive and cruel.
"Today, we no longer have a single case of lumpy skin disease in France, so the situation is under control," French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard told BFM TV.
"So we must remain hopeful that we can defeat this disease, and we can do it," she added.
Genevard was traveling to Haute-Garonne in southwestern France to launch a campaign to vaccinate an additional one million cattle in affected regions, on top of the one million already inoculated.
By December 14, 113 outbreaks of lumpy skin disease had been detected and 3,300 cattle had been slaughtered in France this year, accounting for 0.02% of the French herd, the ministry said.
Genevard, backed by the country's largest farm union FNSEA, says the policy of total stamping out is indispensable.
If unchecked, the disease could wipe out 1.5 million cattle or 10% of the French herd, she told Le Parisien.
(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Chris Reese)
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