To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which countries he has been informed have had an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the last 12 months. (102604)

Outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) have been reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) by the following countries over the last 12 months, up to 22 November 2006:

Argentina

Botswana

Brazil

China

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ecuador

Egypt

Israel

Palestinian Autonomous Territories

Russia

South Africa

Turkey

Vietnam.

Some of these outbreaks occurred in FMD control zones and did not affect the export status of the country concerned. FMD is endemic in a number of other countries in Africa, Asia and South America. In this case, individual outbreaks are not reported to the OIE.