Foot and mouth disease successfully contained in two provinces
Foot and mouth disease has successful been contained in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen made the announcement on Friday, lifting Disaster Management Area (DMA) restrictions that had been in place in some areas for almost three years.
Two municipalities in the Eastern Cape and one in Limpopo had their quarantines lifted, while restrictions in many other areas remained in place.
DMA restrictions had been in place in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities since July 2024.
Over 144 000 vaccinations were administered and the last cases were reported in September 2024.
'Extensive serological surveillance was done in the DMA to confirm that there are no undetected pockets of the disease,' stated Steenhuisen.
The Vhembe municipality in Limpopo also had its restrictions lifted after having first been quarantined in September 2022.
'Cattle at 34 diptanks were vaccinated in two rounds of vaccination, with a total of 23, 024 vaccinations done,' explained Steenhuisen.
Farms still quarantined
At least 76 farms in the Eastern Cape which reported foot and mouth outbreaks remain under quarantine.
'Movement restrictions will remain in place on these farms until testing has confirmed the absence of viral circulation,' the minister stated.
'Testing will commence 12 months after the farms have been vaccinated,'
However, milk from quarantined farms is allowed to be taken off the farms for sale after a single pasteurisation.
Earlier restrictions mandated that double pasteurisation was required when the disease was still active.
KZN still struggling
KwaZulu-Natal is still under DMA restrictions as the department states foot and mouth disease is still active in the province.
'An abattoir in the Vryheid area in the DMA was designated to slaughter animals from premises under FMD restrictions.
'A system has been put in place to assess the level of biosecurity on individual farms, with the intention of aligning the control measures to the biosecurity risks,' said the department.
Grain SA stated that basic biosecurity sanitation measures include washing hands regularly when dealing with animals, sanitising boots before and after entering enclosures and keeping feed rodent-free.
NOW READ: Farmers 'on the edge' over crippling foot and mouth disease
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Restrictions lifted: Foot-and-mouth under control
Restrictions were lifted in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo after intensified efforts by veterinary services contained the spread of FMD. Restrictions were lifted in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo after intensified efforts by veterinary services contained the spread of FMD. Picture: Hans Neleman/Getty images The agricultural sector has described the lifting of restrictions in disease management areas (DMA) as a milestone, calling on all stakeholders to maintain vigilance and strengthen efforts to prevent future outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Last week, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen lifted the restrictions in Eastern Cape and Limpopo after intensified efforts by veterinary services contained the spread of FMD. ALSO READ: Foot and mouth disease successfully contained in three municipalities The control of FMD outbreaks 'In the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities in Eastern Cape, a DMA has been in place since 26 July, 2024 to support the control of FMD outbreaks. Vaccination was implemented as a control measure and 144 424 vaccinations were done,' he said. Steenhuisen said the last cases were reported in September 2024. 'Extensive serological surveillance was done in the DMA to confirm that there are no undetected pockets of the disease. 'In Limpopo, the DMA has been in place since September 2022 to control a FMD outbreak in dip tanks in Vhembe municipality. Cattle at 34 dip tanks were vaccinated, with a total of 23 024 vaccinations done. 'Following extensive serological surveillance at the end of 2024, the department is satisfied there is no evidence of FMD virus in the DMA. 'All restrictions on the DMA can, therefore, be lifted,' he said. ALSO READ: Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak rocks South Africa's cattle industry Lifting of the DMA paves the way for recovery Agri Limpopo spokesperson Deidre Carter said the lifting of the DMA paves the way for recovery in Limpopo's livestock sector. 'The past seven years have tested the resilience of our farming community.' Carter called on all stakeholders to strengthen efforts to prevent more outbreaks and encouraged role players in the livestock value chain to participate in the Limpopo livestock identification and traceability system. Black Farmers Association of South Africa president Dr Lennox Mtshagi said: 'We believe inclusive farmer education and equitable access to animal health infrastructure are essential to sustaining this progress.' TLU chair Bennie van Zyl emphasised it was important to maintain the situation. NOW READ: Centralised operational centre to deal with the FMD crisis set up
The Herald
3 days ago
- The Herald
Foot and mouth disease management areas lifted in Eastern Cape, Limpopo
Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has lifted the disease management areas (DMA) in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo after intensified efforts by veterinary services were successful in containing the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD). The DMA means no cloven-hoofed animals, their products or genetic material may be moved from, to or within the designated DMA unless authorised by a state veterinary permit and in full compliance with the stipulated conditions of such a permit. The lifting of the restrictions became effective on Friday after being published in the government gazette. The department said a DMA had been in place in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities in the Eastern Cape since July 26 2024 to support the control of FMD outbreaks. Vaccination was implemented as a control measure and 144,424 vaccinations were administered. The last cases were reported in September 2024. Extensive serological surveillance was done in the DMA to confirm there were no undetected pockets of the disease.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Foot and mouth disease successfully contained in two provinces
Three municipalities had their restrictions lifted but 76 farms in the Eastern Cape are still under quarantine. Foot and mouth disease has successful been contained in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen made the announcement on Friday, lifting Disaster Management Area (DMA) restrictions that had been in place in some areas for almost three years. Two municipalities in the Eastern Cape and one in Limpopo had their quarantines lifted, while restrictions in many other areas remained in place. DMA restrictions had been in place in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma municipalities since July 2024. Over 144 000 vaccinations were administered and the last cases were reported in September 2024. 'Extensive serological surveillance was done in the DMA to confirm that there are no undetected pockets of the disease,' stated Steenhuisen. The Vhembe municipality in Limpopo also had its restrictions lifted after having first been quarantined in September 2022. 'Cattle at 34 diptanks were vaccinated in two rounds of vaccination, with a total of 23, 024 vaccinations done,' explained Steenhuisen. Farms still quarantined At least 76 farms in the Eastern Cape which reported foot and mouth outbreaks remain under quarantine. 'Movement restrictions will remain in place on these farms until testing has confirmed the absence of viral circulation,' the minister stated. 'Testing will commence 12 months after the farms have been vaccinated,' However, milk from quarantined farms is allowed to be taken off the farms for sale after a single pasteurisation. Earlier restrictions mandated that double pasteurisation was required when the disease was still active. KZN still struggling KwaZulu-Natal is still under DMA restrictions as the department states foot and mouth disease is still active in the province. 'An abattoir in the Vryheid area in the DMA was designated to slaughter animals from premises under FMD restrictions. 'A system has been put in place to assess the level of biosecurity on individual farms, with the intention of aligning the control measures to the biosecurity risks,' said the department. Grain SA stated that basic biosecurity sanitation measures include washing hands regularly when dealing with animals, sanitising boots before and after entering enclosures and keeping feed rodent-free. NOW READ: Farmers 'on the edge' over crippling foot and mouth disease
