9 May 2024
The Eastern Cape’s first case of foot-and-mouth disease was reported on 30 April on a farm near Humansdorp.
According to a statement by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, clinical signs of foot-and-mouth disease were observed on the farm.
Samples were taken and sent to the laboratory at Onderstepoort. The PCR and serology results were positive for foot-and-mouth disease, but at the time of publication the SAT typing of the virus was not yet available.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Veterinary Services placed the farm under quarantine and began an epidemiological investigation to identify the possible origin of the disease and other farms that could also be affected.
Neighbouring farms and places linked to the affected farm were also placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure until clinical and serological investigations have determined their foot-and-mouth disease status.
