In a press statement issued by the Authority, the Director-General, Engineer Salem Al-Hay, confirmed that after testing a number of samples in the Authority’s laboratories, the diagnosis was confirmed. The samples are being sent to reference laboratories for further verification.

Al-Hay reassured livestock breeders that the Authority is working around the clock and sparing no effort to contain the outbreak, mobilizing all available resources and medical personnel to respond swiftly. Efforts are also being accelerated to directly import the necessary vaccines.

He expected the FMD vaccine to arrive by the beginning of next month and urged breeders to take all necessary preventive measures to control the disease, boost immunity in susceptible herds, and follow approved protocols to ensure the safety of cattle and livestock.

Al-Hay emphasized that, according to medical research and reports, "the disease does not affect the health of consumers of meat and dairy products at all, and meat can be safely consumed without concern." He explained that FMD is primarily an economic disease, directly affecting milk production, with infections occurring in the mouth and feet. While it mainly affects cattle, it can also infect sheep and goats, though less frequently.