Nearly 2,000 camels die in Saudi mystery disease
Pastor Dale Morgan
Nearly 2,000 camels die in Saudi mystery disease*
Reuters
Saturday, August 25, 2007; 11:15 AM
RIYADH (Reuters) - Nearly 2,000 camels have died in Saudi Arabia from a
mystery illness that first appeared two weeks ago, the government said
on Saturday.
Authorities have been on the lookout for signs of foot-and- mouth
disease over the last year.
"Veterinary experts say the symptoms indicate mysterious cases of either
poisoning by food borne fungus or infectious disease, and this accords
with what camel owners have said about animal feed they bought,"
Agriculture Minister Fahd Bilghoneim told a news conference.
Camels began dying in the Dawasir Valley south of Riyadh earlier this
month. Bilghoneim said 1,982 camels had since died.
Deaths have been recorded in the far south of the vast desert kingdom,
from Mecca to the border of Yemen.
King Abdullah promised compensation for owners after the government said
last week that 232 camels had died in the space of four days in the
Dawasir Valley.
Symptoms of the illness include sweating, excitability, loss of balance,
vomiting and fainting.
Camels are big business in the desert kingdom and are traded by Bedouin
tribes for thousands of dollars each. The animals are used for racing
and their meat is also prized.