Area within Vhembe District quarantined following foot and mouth disease scare
This after the department received reports of lameness in cattle
LIMPOPO – An area within the Vhembe District has been quarantined following positive laboratory results for foot and mouth disease (FMD), said the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the department samples were collected during a disease investigation after reports of lameness in cattle were received.
“The location is just outside the FMD Control Zone and a team of experts from the Department and the Limpopo Veterinary Services is currently on the ground conducting further investigations to verify the results and to determine the extent of the outbreak. Control measures will be determined by the findings, explained the Spokesperson for the department, Khaye Nkwanyana.
FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease which affects livestock with significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle, pigs (domestic and wild), sheep, goats, and other cloven hoofed animals. The disease does not affect human beings. Signs of disease may include depressed animals, sores in the mouth of animals causing reluctance to eat and lameness.
