Mattilsynet also kicked out the Italians!

The Italian helpers were shocked when the Mattilsynet appeared in Levajok some minutes before 12 o' clock and kicked out the two Italian teams wich take part in the 500 km race. The Italian lady Mira Trabocchi, head of the office (on the right) was very anxious as she received the notice from the veterinary of Mattilsynet, Susann Rørtveit.

"The two Italian teams could not prove that they made the worm treatment with their dogs." The veterinary of Mattilsynet eastern Finnmark explained to our press-team in Levajok that the dogs need to get this treatment seven days after their arrival in Norway.

"The rules about the import of dogs from member-countries of the EU states that the treatment against the ekinokokkose-parasite must take place at a maximum of ten days before the entry of Scandnavia, and it must be repeated within seven days after the entry of the country. This treatment is to avoid bringing a parasite into Norway which does not occure there."

The parasite takes mice and humans as hosts. It is very harmful and appears in building small swellings which are often unrecognized until it is too late. The chance of survival is very little if humans are infected by this parasite. Especially berry-pickers are at risk.

The Mattilsynet assessed that a lot of international drivers have a lack of verifications in their documents. However, most of them managed to prove that their dogs got the worm treatment without any vet stamping the dog's vaccination-documents. They got the permission to finish Finnmarksløpet with this evidence.

Three international teams are out of the race now. The German musher Thomas Hoffmann left Alta yesterday and the Italian participants Maurizio Menghinella and Henry Coronica have to quit the race and leave the country today. They drove out of Skoganvarre tonight and have not reached Levajok yet to recieve this tragical information.