After its “journey” with, among other things, vaccinations, Brazil was declared free of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) this year, and South Africa is also preparing for such a journey, says John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture.
By Alani Janeke, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
At the beginning of this year, active foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cases were confined to KwaZulu-Natal. By the end of May, new outbreaks had occurred in several other provinces.
John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, announced in a media session in Parliament on Monday 1 September that 274 active cases were currently occurring in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Free State, North West and Mpumalanga. Positive cases have been confirmed in all types of cattle farming systems – commercial cattle herds, breeding herds, feedlots, dairy cattle and communal herds.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the outbreaks continued to spread westwards, with confirmed cases in the local municipalities of Dundee, Dannhauser, Newcastle, Alfred Duma, Okhahlamba, uMshwathi, eDumbe and eMadlangeni. Fortunately, the disease appears to have subsided in the eastern part of the disease control area, although 180 outbreaks are still active in this province.
The virus spread from KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga in February through an auction. By late May, additional outbreaks were reported in Gauteng, North West, the western parts of Mpumalanga and the Free State.
Investigations indicate farm-to-farm spread has occurred, while the movement of livestock where isolation protocols were not adhered to has also contributed to the spread of the disease.
Steenhuisen said the government was taking action to address the outbreak, and he expressed hope that this would boost confidence in the agricultural industry.
