Screwworm epidemic threatens livestock in Iraq and neighbouring countries
An outbreak of the potentially lethal Old World Screwworm livestock pest has reached epidemic proportions in Iraq and threatens to spread to neighbouring Near East countries unless urgent control measures are implemented, FAO warned in a press release issued Thursday 15 January.

In December 1997, some 50 000 cases of Old World Screwworm were recorded in 12 out of 18 Iraqi governates, compared to 31 000 in the previous 15 months. Samples have been found in a diseased animal in Kuwait and the pest has also been detected in Iran, FAO said. Full Press Release

FAO Senior Officer, Vector-Borne Diseases, Brian Hursey talks about the Old World Screwworm epidemic in Iraq and what is being done to control the situation. Read the interview or listen to a sound bite of the recorded interview with Brian Hursey (570K .mov file)

15 January 1998

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