Authorities in Pakistan have said that they are planning to cull more than 21,000 sheep that were brought on a ship from Australia.

The decision to cull the sheep was taken after sheep tested positive for salmonella bacteria, which can also infect human beings. However, Pakistan Livestock and Meat Company, which acquired the sheep, has said that it will take legal action to oppose the decision to cull the sheep.

The ship had arrived in port city of Karachi two weeks after the authorities in Bahrain did not allow the ship to unload sheep in the country due to health concerns. Australian shipping company, Wellard Rural Exports had said that Pakistani veterinary authorities had cleared the shipment after conducting quarantine checks.

Roshan Ali Shaikh, a senior public official said that laboratory tests have shown that sheep are infected with salmonella and actinomyces, which could infect humans. He also said that the sheep are being culled and the process could take several days.

The Ocean Drover had left Australia with 75,000 sheep over a month ago and has already unloaded 53,000 of them at two other ports until officials in Bahrain found that some of the sheep were infected with "orf" or scabby mouth disease.