By Lloyd Phillips
In response to recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal’s Newcastle district, the national Department of Agriculture’s animal health directorate has announced an expansion of the province’s already massive Disease Management Area (DMA) for foot-and-mouth.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday that with KwaZulu-Natal’s multi-year outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) not being successfully contained to date, and with new outbreaks of this commercially important and highly contagious disease continuing in this province, the borders of the existing DMA are being expanded.
A statement by the ministry explains that recent outbreaks of FMD in KwaZulu-Natal’s Newcastle district were outside of the DMA established in the province in 2021 following outbreaks of the SAT2 FMD strain in communally-farmed cattle in the more northern parts of KZN.
“With new cases recently detected in the Newcastle area, the disease has now spread beyond the initial DMA. To curb further spread of the FMD virus, the minister of agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has taken the decision to extend the boundaries of the DMA in KZN,” the statement continues.
“This measure aims to control the movement of cloven-hoofed animals, namely cattle, sheep and goats, and their derived products in affected areas. No cloven-hoofed animals, their products or genetic material may be moved from, to, or within the DMA unless authorised by a state veterinary permit and in full compliance with the stipulated conditions of such permit.”
KwaZulu-Natal’s local municipalities that are now entirely included within the new DMA are:
- Big Five Hlabisa
- Mtubatuba
- Nongoma
- Ulundi
- Umhlabuyalingana
- Jozini
- Pongola
- Abaqulusi
- Mfolozi
- uMhlathuze
- Mthonjaneni
- Nqutu
- Nkandla
- uMlalazi
- Mandeni
KZN’s local municipalities partially included within the new DMA are:
- Emadlangeni
- Newcastle
- Dannhauser
- Endumeni
- Msinga
- Umvoti
- Maphumulo
- Ndwedwe
- KwaDukuza
Responsibility of livestock owners
The national Department of Agriculture reminds that Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984), places a legal obligation on all animal owners and farm managers to take all reasonable steps to prevent their animals from becoming infected and to prevent the spread of diseases.
Essential biosecurity measures include limiting or postponing the introduction of new animals onto farms; only introducing animals from known, disease-free sources with a valid health declaration; preventing direct contact between farm animals and those outside the farm; maintaining secure farm boundaries and restricting access to livestock areas; and, minimising human and vehicle access to farms, with proper disinfection protocols in place.
Organised agriculture bodies are currently formulating their reactions to the announcement of KZN’s new FMD DMA.
This is a developing story. African Farming will report these responses as soon as they become available.
