By Lloyd Phillips
Despite all the advanced biosecurity measures that have long been implemented at Karan Beef’s feedlot of approximately 2 330 ha in Heidelberg, Gauteng, the shocking discovery of foot-and-mouth disease means that all cattle – approximately 150 000 – must be under quarantine for at least the next 28 days.
According to Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general for agricultural production, biosecurity and natural resource management at the Department of Agriculture and head of its foot-and-mouth disease rapid response team, they are working with Karan Beef to determine the exact origin of one or more infected animals that escaped the feedlot’s strict biosecurity protocols.
He told African Farming that animal health authorities are urgently testing thousands of animals at the Heidelberg feedlot to determine the hopefully limited extent of the foot-and-mouth disease infection on the premises.
“There are both silver linings and dark clouds for the management of foot-and-mouth disease at Africa’s largest cattle feedlot.”
‘Virtually no vaccine stock’
The entire feedlot will have to be quarantined for at least 28 consecutive days. No animals may be brought in during this period, and animals will only be allowed for slaughter under the strictest conditions.
“We will also have to start vaccinating all the animals there as a precautionary measure to prevent the potential spread of foot-and-mouth disease from the feedlot. Unfortunately, South Africa currently has virtually no stock of foot-and-mouth vaccine because it has been used to manage foot-and-mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal and elsewhere,” said Serage.
“However, we placed an order with Botswana three weeks ago and expect the vaccine to be here during the course of this week or next week at the latest.”
Own quarantine department
Serage says a significant silver lining at the Heidelberg feedlot is that the facility has its own separate quarantine compartments for newly arrived cattle. These animals remain in these compartments for 28 days, away from the rest of the feedlot’s cattle, until it is deemed safe to move them to the feedlot’s main operations.
“Unfortunately, there are still many cattle even in these quarantine compartments where the foot-and-mouth disease cases have been confirmed. We are therefore testing to see how far this disease may have spread in the quarantine compartments. Hopefully, its spread can be limited to these quarantine compartments only.”
“However, as a matter of protocol, the entire feedlot must still be quarantined.” Serage again appealed to all livestock owners not to violate biosecurity regulations and to implement their own strict biosecurity measures.
“Ultimately, it is people who are in control of and responsible for whether the foot-and-mouth disease virus spreads from one place to another. No amount of vaccine and other measures will solve the problem if people ignore their responsibilities for biosecurity.”
