03/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Partial lifting of protection measures against foot and mouth disease. On Tuesday 1st March, the European Commission decided to reduce the areas in Bulgaria which are under restriction as a result of food and mouth disease. The disease was first diagnosed in a wild boar shot by hunters at the end of 2010 in the region of Burgas, in the south-east of the country close to the Turkish border. No new outbreaks have been reported since 31 January 2011. The extent of the high-risk area can, therefore, be reduced to two municipalities only (Malko Tarnovo and Tsarevo) and only the three surrounding municipalities of the Burgas region are now in the low-risk area. (L.C./transl.rt)