The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are the only provinces with ongoing foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks, while all other FMD outbreaks have been resolved and closed with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.
The outbreak in the Eastern Cape remained stable, with no new outbreaks reported in the past three months.
“However, it cannot be excluded that the disease may still be active on some of the affected farms. Therefore, the disease management area (DMA), which was declared in July 2024, remans in place and measures will continue to be strictly applied during the festive season,” the ministry said.
Once the necessary surveillance on farms in the area have proven there are no undetected pockets of ongoing infection, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen will consider lifting the movement restrictions of the DMA.
The 73 infected and/or vaccinated farms will remain under quarantine and will be subject to movement control and surveillance strategies for at least another 12 months to confirm the absence of virus resurgence on these farms.
Steenhuisen urged farmers to continue with strict biosecurity measures to avoid a recurrence of the disease in the area.
After the spread of the outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal to uPhongolo local municipality, a few dip tanks were placed under movement restrictions to contain the outbreak.
Vaccination was continuing at the affected dip tanks and those in the surrounding areas deemed to be at highest risk. The borders of the DMA in KwaZulu-Natal were under review and would be adjusted to include the new outbreak and additionally identified risk areas.
There was also a flare-up of the disease in the Mtubatuba area, which was being contained through movement control and vaccination.
In addition to the control measures in the affected areas, the ministry said cloven-hoofed livestock in South Africa may only be moved if accompanied by a health declaration from the owner of the animals, attesting to their health at the time of moving.
“In addition, all cattle, sheep and goats newly brought onto a farm must be kept separate from the resident herds for at least 28 days as required by law since October 2022.”
The department of agriculture recommended livestock farmers in the country limit animal movement as far as possible.
“The significance of the incubation period for FMD cannot be over-emphasised. This is the period when animals appear to be healthy, in the early stages of infection where they are shedding virus without showing clinical signs of disease yet.”
FMD is a controlled animal disease in terms of the Animal Diseases Act. Any suspicious clinical symptoms (salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping or hoof lesions) must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately and such animals must not be moved under any circumstances.
TimesLIVE
Only KZN, Eastern Cape still have foot and mouth disease outbreaks
Image: Aurélie Le Moigne/123rf.com/ File photo
The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal are the only provinces with ongoing foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks, while all other FMD outbreaks have been resolved and closed with the World Organisation for Animal Health, the agriculture ministry said on Friday.
The outbreak in the Eastern Cape remained stable, with no new outbreaks reported in the past three months.
“However, it cannot be excluded that the disease may still be active on some of the affected farms. Therefore, the disease management area (DMA), which was declared in July 2024, remans in place and measures will continue to be strictly applied during the festive season,” the ministry said.
Once the necessary surveillance on farms in the area have proven there are no undetected pockets of ongoing infection, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen will consider lifting the movement restrictions of the DMA.
The 73 infected and/or vaccinated farms will remain under quarantine and will be subject to movement control and surveillance strategies for at least another 12 months to confirm the absence of virus resurgence on these farms.
Steenhuisen urged farmers to continue with strict biosecurity measures to avoid a recurrence of the disease in the area.
After the spread of the outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal to uPhongolo local municipality, a few dip tanks were placed under movement restrictions to contain the outbreak.
Vaccination was continuing at the affected dip tanks and those in the surrounding areas deemed to be at highest risk. The borders of the DMA in KwaZulu-Natal were under review and would be adjusted to include the new outbreak and additionally identified risk areas.
There was also a flare-up of the disease in the Mtubatuba area, which was being contained through movement control and vaccination.
In addition to the control measures in the affected areas, the ministry said cloven-hoofed livestock in South Africa may only be moved if accompanied by a health declaration from the owner of the animals, attesting to their health at the time of moving.
“In addition, all cattle, sheep and goats newly brought onto a farm must be kept separate from the resident herds for at least 28 days as required by law since October 2022.”
The department of agriculture recommended livestock farmers in the country limit animal movement as far as possible.
“The significance of the incubation period for FMD cannot be over-emphasised. This is the period when animals appear to be healthy, in the early stages of infection where they are shedding virus without showing clinical signs of disease yet.”
FMD is a controlled animal disease in terms of the Animal Diseases Act. Any suspicious clinical symptoms (salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping or hoof lesions) must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately and such animals must not be moved under any circumstances.
TimesLIVE
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