Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak: Disease management area declared

In further efforts to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the Department of Agriculture has declared a disease management area (DMA), which includes part of the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities in the Eastern Cape.

This follows the department’s concerns over the outbreak of FMD in these municipalities, where cattle on 26 farms have tested positive for the disease.

The department said the cattle on the positive farms have been vaccinated to decrease the viral load and to control the severity of the clinical signs seen in especially dairy cattle.

The positive farms were also placed under quarantine, with strict movement control.

“Requests were received to preventatively vaccinate dairy cattle on farms that have not been confirmed as being FMD positive but were at high risk of infection.  Permission was given to preventatively vaccinate cattle on 29 farms.

“Animals on a further seven farms were vaccinated after veterinary officials reported suspect clinical signs. In total, 84 655 animals were vaccinated on 62 farms,” the department said.

The department added the boundaries of the DMA will be detailed in the related July 2024 Government Gazette Notice.

The department explained the DMA, which was declared on Friday, will make it possible to control the movements of animals out of, into and within the affected area.

“The main aim of the DMA is to prevent outward spread of the outbreaks to areas not previously affected. In addition, the DMA aims to decrease further spread of the disease within the affected area, as this will decrease the viral load and infection pressure of the area.

“No cloven-hoofed animals, animal products derived from cloven-hoofed animals or genetic material of cloven-hoofed animals may be moved from, to or within the disease management areas of the Eastern Cape except under authority of a state veterinary permit contemplated in Regulation 20 (1) of the regulations and in compliance with the conditions of such permit,” the department said.

In addition to the control measures of the Eastern Cape DMA, the department said the July 2024 Gazette Notice also stipulates that cloven hoofed livestock 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.

“All cattle, [including] sheep and goats newly brought onto a farm must be kept separated from the resident herds for at least 28 days. This has been a requirement by law since October 2022, but the importance of this is again emphasised,” the department said.

The department has strongly recommended to all livestock farmers in the country to limit animal movement as far as possible.

“Cloven-hoofed animals should not be moved unless it is necessary to allow for an opportunity to find and quarantine further undetected and affected properties to prevent any further spread of the disease.

“The significance of the incubation period for FMD cannot be overemphasised. This is the period when animals appear to be healthy, in the early stages of infection (incubation period) where they are shedding virus without showing clinical signs of disease yet,” the department said.

Farmers are again urged to observe bio-security on their farms and to protect their own herds from becoming infected with disease.  Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act [35 Of 1984] imposes a legal duty on any owner or manager of animals to take all reasonable steps to prevent their animals from becoming infected with any disease and to prevent the spread of any disease from their animals or land to other animals or other properties. – SAnews.gov.za