The Ministry of Agriculture clarified in a statement, following complaints received from a number of farmers and reports circulated by some media outlets and social media platforms regarding the appearance of disease cases among cows in the Qaraoun area – Western Bekaa, that "the specialized technical and veterinary teams at the General Directorate of Agriculture – Directorate of Animal Resources, acting upon the instructions of Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani, moved immediately upon receiving the information to the concerned area, where they initiated field inspections of the herds and followed up on the registered cases, providing breeders with the necessary health and preventive guidance." The Ministry affirmed that the monitored cases are subject to technical and veterinary follow-up, with the aim of assessing the health situation, identifying the causative factors, and taking appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures in accordance with approved scientific and veterinary procedures. As part of preventive measures, the Ministry of Agriculture will send official letters to municipalities located in the vicinity of Lake Qaraoun, requesting them to intensify measures to combat insects and vectors, particularly midges, flies, and insects capable of transmitting certain animal diseases, using duly permitted and registered pesticides, and in accordance with approved environmental and health controls, which contributes to reducing vector density and limiting the risks of disease transmission. The Ministry pointed out that some diseases affecting livestock may be linked in their spread to the proliferation of vector insects and the environmental, climatic, and health factors surrounding the herds, which necessitates adopting an integrated approach that includes veterinary monitoring, vaccination, vector control, and improving hygiene and biosecurity conditions in farms. The Ministry also renewed its reminder to breeders of cows and other livestock of the necessity to adhere to approved vaccination and prevention programs, not to neglect recommended vaccines against epidemic diseases, alongside applying biosecurity measures, continuously monitoring animals, isolating any animal showing pathological symptoms, and immediately contacting the competent agricultural and veterinary departments and centers when any case is suspected. The Ministry stressed that the accurate diagnosis of any animal disease is based on veterinary examination, laboratory tests, and approved scientific procedures, and therefore it is impermissible to preempt results or issue scientifically unproven descriptions and diagnoses, due to the negative repercussions this has on breeders, the animal sector, and the safety of production chains. In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture urged media outlets and social media users to exercise accuracy and responsibility in circulating information related to animal health, and to refer to official statements and sources before publishing any information or conclusions. Inaccurate news or news not based on reliable scientific results may cause unjustified concern, harm the reputation of Lebanese animal production and dairy products, and inflict direct damage on thousands of farmers, breeders, and producers committed to health standards, in addition to the legal responsibilities that may arise from publishing false or misleading information. The Ministry affirmed that it is directly and continuously monitoring any disease cases or suspected cases recorded among livestock on Lebanese territory, and that its technical and veterinary teams are in a state of permanent readiness to conduct field inspections, provide guidance, and take the necessary preventive and health measures, in coordination with the concerned authorities. The Ministry of Agriculture also affirmed that protecting animal health, human health, food safety, and the sustainability of national production remains among its priorities, within a scientific approach based on prevention, early monitoring, rapid response, and reliance on accurate veterinary and laboratory diagnosis.