Foot-and-mouth outbreak in Mtubatuba

INTERIM control measures to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) have been put in place across the King Cetshwayo, Zululand and uMkhanyakude district municipalities with immediate effect.

This after veterinary officials in Mtubatuba noticed cattle with suspicious lesions at one communal location.

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Control measures put in place by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) include stopping the movement of all cloven-hoofed animals, including livestock and game, in the three affected districts.

‘Samples were collected last Wednesday during routine disease surveillance.

‘The location is in an area that was part of the FMD-free zone prior to the suspension of this internationally-recognised status by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in 2019.

‘The diagnosis was confirmed by the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Laboratory last Thursday.

‘Viral typing is ongoing to determine the identity of the virus involved in this outbreak,’ said the DALRRD minister, Thoko Didiza.

Didiza explained that a team of officials from both the KZN Department of Agriculture and the DALRRD are conducting further investigations to determine the extent of the outbreak.

‘Control measures will be determined by the findings of this investigation.

‘In an attempt to prevent the spread of this virus, we have stopped the movement of cloven-hoofed animals in and out of neighbouring districts.

‘These areas will be reviewed within two weeks, based on further disease investigations.

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‘We have established a FMD task team to prioritise all matters related to this outbreak, and a veterinary operational committee is dealing with the outbreak at provincial level.

‘Farmers in the temporary standstill area are urged to abide by these measures until the outcome of the disease investigations allow for the control measures to be refined.

‘Farmers in northern KZN, outside the temporary standstill area, are cautioned to observe bio-security measures – not to allow any new animals into their herds and to minimise the movement of their own herds to other farms.

‘Any suspected cases of FMD in susceptible animals must be reported to the local state veterinarian immediately. FMD affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals (domestic and wild).

‘Major clinical features of the disease include fever, lameness and the appearance of vesicles and sores in the mouth, feet, teats and mammary glands,’ she said.

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