Government takes charge of Foot-and-mouth outbreak

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) officially took charge of measures to manage and contain the outbreak of Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in cattle in the Vhembe District of Limpopo on Monday.
Spokesperson for the department, Khaye Nkwanyana said in a media release on Monday that a Joint Operations Committee (JOC), consisting of the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, local authorities, Provincial and National Veterinary officials, as well as a Veterinary Operations Committee (VOC) have been established. The VOC will have three main activities, being inspections, surveillance, vaccination and movement control. A disease management area was declared, being the area enclosed by the R81, the R36, the N1 and the R524. “The exact boundaries of this area will be published in the government gazette. No movement of cloven hoofed animals are allowed within, into or out of this area. Products from cloven hoofed animals may be allowed within and out of this area, but only with a permit issued by the local state veterinarian,” the statement reads and goes further to say that movement of cloven hoofed animals (including wildlife) and unprocessed products out of Mopani District and Vhembe District as well as the Molemole Municipality of Capricorn District is discouraged until further notice. Only products processed using methods validated to inactivate the FMD virus are safe to be moved out of the area. Movement permits which were issued for this purpose were also withdrawn.
“Vaccination in the 20 km radius around the affected area will commence in the week starting on 14 January 2019. Culling of affected or in-contact animals in the area is at the moment not advocated due to a number of factors, and the situation is constantly monitored by the veterinary team,” the department confirmed.
The department cautioned farmers in the whole country to observe bio-security measures and not to allow any new animals into their herds, while minimising the movement of their own herds to other farms. “Farmers, industry and the community at large are hereby urged to observe the measures in operation so that the disease can be brought under control within as short a time as possible and the situation can return to normal,” the department pleaded.
The department has given the assurance that the disease does not affect human beings and that it is safe to consume products of cloven hoofed animals, such as meat and milk. “Food such as heat treated meat and dairy products, deboned and matured beef, scoured wool, salted hides and skins and livestock embryos do not pose a risk of transmitting the disease,” the statement reads.
Following the outbreak of FMD, the governments of Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and The Kingdom of eSwatini placed embargoes on the export to and movement of cloven hoofed animals and related products from South Africa and organised agriculture in the country had expressed its dismay and concern about the situation. South Africa’s FMD-free status has also been suspended and consequently, any exports where FMD free zone attestation is required, cannot be certified.
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. Signs of disease in animals may include depressed animals and sores in the mouth of animals causing reluctance to eat and lameness.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com