Assistant Professor Dr. Hassan Nima Habib, a lecturer in the Department of Animal Production at the College of Agriculture at the University of Basra, participated in a research team from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Basra, including Assistant Professor Dr. Wissam Munther Muhammad Salih and PhD student Adeeb Ayad Dawood, in isolating and identifying a virulent strain of foot-and-mouth disease virus that infects livestock in Basra specifically and throughout Iraq.

The research team investigated the source of the epidemic in southern Iraq. They isolated and identified the virus and genetically analyzed it. After examination, they discovered a new strain isolated and identified for the first time in Basra and Iraq, named strain (SAT1). This strain has been preserved in the Global Gene Bank and was found to contain multiple mutations. This mutation is considered the first step in establishing a national program to produce a successful and effective vaccine to eliminate the disease permanently. This disease causes significant economic losses, including significant mortality among infected animals and decreased livestock productivity in terms of meat, milk, and dairy products, as well as increased treatment costs and the associated trade and consumption of livestock products.

Division of Media and Government Communication/College of Agriculture