09/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - Foot and mouth disease at the gates of Europe. Foot and mouth disease stands at the gates of the European Union and vigilance has been stepped up in the Balkans to prevent any spread, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Monday 9 February. The FAO is assisting the countries concerned develop and test emergency plans, and measures have recently been assessed in Bulgaria, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (computer-assisted simulation of simultaneous outbreaks of the disease in the three countries). The last major crisis in the region was in 2011. Food and mouth disease is a viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, buffalo, pigs, sheep, goats and deer. Though not dangerous to human health, it causes serious production losses and is a major constraint for international trade, the FAO states. (LC)