Matiane – An outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) has been confirmed in Limpopo, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on Monday.
Department spokesperson Bomikazi Molapo said the Limpopo Veterinary Services (LVS) first suspected FMD disease in cattle in the drought-stricken Matiane area after symptoms were first detected a week ago on Tuesday, December 8. Two days later laboratory tests confirmed the outbreak.
“The outbreak has been identified as a SAT 3 strain of FMD virus,” said Molapo.
Molapo noted that Matiane was located within the Vhembe district, which was within South Africa’s FMD protection zone “where vaccination for FMD is routinely conducted”.
Last week the LVS had expressed fears that livestock near the border would be exposed to foot-and-mouth disease as Zimbabweans allegedly cut down border fences to access greener pastures.
Compounding the problem was the fact that the area happened to be close to the Greater Kruger National Park complex where FMD-infected buffalo roam.
As drought conditions worsen, there was an increased likelihood of two cloven-hoofed animals coming into close contact with each other, the department added.
In response, the LVS had “intensified surveillance in the area, and is also applying control measures such as quarantine of affected cattle and movement control of cloven hooved animals in the surrounding areas”.
Molapo said: “Vaccination of the surrounding areas in response to the outbreak will be instituted.”
He added that because the recent FMD outbreak occurred within the FMD protection zone, it should have “no effect on South Africa’s FMD free zone status, and should not have any effect on South Africa’s export activities”.
He said the department urged the farming community to work closely with its provincial veterinary officials to ensure no cattle moved out of the zone in order to contain the outbreak.
African News Agency
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