Kuwait banned imports of livestock from the UAE after finding several infected animals of African origin among cattle re-exported from the UAE, reported the daily Gulf News.
A quarantine department official in Kuwait said that a temporary ban on all livestock from the UAE had been imposed to prevent the spread of contagious diseases including Rift Valley Fever, said the paper.
It is believed that the animals were re-exported from the UAE after being brought to the UAE from east Africa.
"Due to the difficulty in separating infectious animals from others imported from the UAE, the temporary ban was issued," the official said.
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries officials in the UAE were not available for comment when contacted by the paper.
Rift Valley Fever has killed more than 150 people in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. No cases have been reported in the UAE, according to the Gulf News.
Kuwait also banned livestock from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, according to the paper – Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
