28 May 2024
Reports indicate that 300 cattle from the Eastern Cape, destined for export to Mauritius, have tested positive for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
This comes a few days after three farms elsewhere in the province were placed under quarantine following reports of FMD.
East London is about 400 km from where foot-and-mouth disease was reported near Humansdorp at the end of April, indicating that the disease has already spread to the rest of the province.
Reggie Ngcobo, spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, confirmed to African Farming that the SAT3 virus responsible for the outbreak on the index farm is almost identical to the virus that caused widespread FMD outbreaks in 2021 and 2022 in Limpopo, North West, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The cattle destined for export to Mauritius reportedly showed no prior signs of the highly contagious disease.
Brent McNamara, head of Agri Eastern Cape, said the feedlot in question has been placed under precautionary quarantine while veterinary services conduct further investigations.
The farms associated with the export consignment, as well as their neighbouring farms, have been placed under preventive quarantine, and the export of live animals from the involved operation has been immediately suspended.
According to a report from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, livestock records will be audited to trace the farms of origin for all animals that tested positive. The department was due to begin vaccinating about 4 000 cattle elsewhere in the Eastern Cape on Monday.
Movement in these areas discouraged
In a report last week by the department, foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed on three farms in the Kouga municipality near Humansdorp – two dairy farms and a beef farm.
A total of 2 800 cattle and 86 sheep have been vaccinated. The dairy farmer reported a decrease in clinical cases within four days of vaccination.
“Farmers are advised not to allow animals onto the farm without a health certificate from a veterinarian,” says Dr Cebisa Mnqeta, chief director of veterinary services in the Eastern Cape. “Even if animals appear healthy, they may be in the early stages of infection (incubation period) where they are shedding the virus without yet showing clinical signs of disease.
“The department requests minimal and mandatory movement of live animals from farms within and adjacent to the current high-risk area, which currently includes the Kouga and Koukamma local municipalities, to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.”
Farms within a radius of 10 km from infected farms must undergo serological FMD tests and have two negative results before any movements are allowed. The movements that will be allowed include the transfer of cull cows and bull calves to the abattoir.
Farms outside the 10 km radius of any of the infected farm zones can move animals provided there are no clinical symptoms. The absence of the disease must also be declared.
*This report will be updated as comments from stakeholders are received.
