Tehran - The Director-General of Iran’s Office for Management and Control of Livestock Diseases announced that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in the country have decreased by 46% thanks to mass vaccination.

 

Reza Asadi reported the detection and tracking of a mutation in one of the foot-and-mouth disease virus types in Iran, according to Borna News.

 

He said, "Based on continuous monitoring and the implementation of a nationwide surveillance and alert system since the beginning of the year, this mutation was identified by the Veterinary Organization."

 

"As soon as this new strain was detected in samples sent to the reference veterinary laboratory, immediate control measures were taken. One of the most critical actions was assessing the effectiveness and coverage of existing vaccines against the new strain,” he added.

 

Emphasizing the efficacy of the available vaccines, Asadi noted, "According to laboratory results from the Veterinary Organization, the current vaccines are fully capable of countering this new strain, and there is no cause for concern in this regard."

 

Referring to data recorded in the Geographic Information System, he said, "Reports indicate that between January 21 and February 9, 2025, foot-and-mouth disease hotspots decreased by 46% compared to the same period last year. This statistic demonstrates the success of the Veterinary Organization’s disease control and mass vaccination programs."

 

While some neighboring countries have faced widespread outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, Iran has successfully prevented an epidemic through extensive vaccination efforts.