Producers mount coordinated response to FMD outbreak
A Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak is spreading, with confirmed cases in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Now, the Red Meat Industry Services has set up a dedicated operations centre.
It will monitor and mount a full-scale, time-bound response to the threat.
Just last week, Karan Beef, one of the biggest producers, detected the disease at its Heidelberg facility.
Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services, said vaccinations have started.
"It seems like the spread within the Karan Beef lot has slowed down a little bit, and it also seems like an outbreak in Vosloorus is also slowing down," Olivier said.
"It's going fairly well at this stage, we're just waiting for vaccines to arrive from Botswana, and then we can start with full-scale vaccination of the cattle."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
5 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
New WWF report unveils alarming links between plastics and human health
Reducing plastic pollution is central to reducing the overall toxic burden on people and the planet and mitigating its far-reaching health and ecological consequences. Proving causality in public health is rarely straightforward, and plastics are no exception. But a comprehensive synthesis of the latest scientific literature (about 200 studies) by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the University of Birmingham has cast the spotlight on this complex and evolving field. The WWF literary synthesis, Plastics, Health, and One Planet: An Evidence-Based Call for Global Rules, highlights what the latest scientific research reveals about how micro- and nanoplastics, as well as six major groups of toxic chemicals commonly used in plastic products, could be causing a wide range of harm, not just to wildlife, but to us as well. Studies have found that these almost invisible threats could be linked to cancer, infertility, metabolic disorders and lifelong developmental harm. The findings strongly support a One Health approach, recognising that plastic pollution affects humans, animals and ecosystems through shared pathways and vulnerabilities. As world leaders gather to negotiate a global plastic pollution treaty in Geneva from 5 August 2025, they have a responsibility to agree on a treaty that puts the health of our planet, our health and that of future generations first. At this moment in human history we have an enormous opportunity to create change. Here's why it matters. Plastics are leaking into the environment, contaminating ecosystems and harming the animals that live in them. In water, they can be taken up by animals and move through their bodies and food webs, disrupting feeding, physiology and survival. On land, they can harm vital soil organisms, which may undermine soil health and food production. Toxic additives used in plastics have been detected in a wide range of species, from primates to soil-dwelling organisms, indicating widespread ecological exposure. Micro- and nanoplastics can enter the human body by inhalation, ingestion or through the skin. These particles have now been detected in vital human organs such as the lungs, placenta, intestine and even the brain. Recent studies suggest that they may accumulate in the arteries, exacerbating inflammation and potentially increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. They can transport and release toxic chemicals, which are often introduced during manufacturing to give plastic products specific properties such as flexibility, durability or resistance to heat, fire and UV light. Studies of the toxicological impacts of chemicals added during production, including phthalates, bisphenols, UV stabilisers and alkylphenols, PFAS, flame retardants, as well as metals, metalloids and their compounds, have associated them with increased risk of a wide range of serious health outcomes. The evidence we have at our fingertips about the near-universal and involuntary exposure people, wildlife and nature have to plastic and its added chemicals demand precautionary action. The precautionary principle has guided a number of successful international agreements, such as the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which acted decisively on ozone-depleting substances before the science was fully settled, and thereby prevented millions of cases of skin cancer and facilitated the restoration of the ozone layer. The growing body of evidence, with more than 1,400 studies published since 2018 alone, must serve as a foundation for strong, science-based legislation rooted in the precautionary principle: while research continues to evolve, current evidence justifies decisive action now to minimise future harm. Due to the widespread use of plastics, micro- and nanoplastic particles are now almost omnipresent, found across every part of the planet from oceans, rivers and mountains, to soil, air, indoor environments, food and drinking water. Reducing plastic pollution is central to reducing the overall toxic burden on people and the planet and mitigating its far-reaching health and ecological consequences. The global plastic pollution treaty is our one opportunity to create a robust and effective global response to this worsening global crisis. WWF urges governments and negotiators to deliver a science-based, legally binding treaty that tackles plastic pollution at its roots. Protecting human, animal and environmental health must be a core function of the treaty. To ensure world leaders deliver a treaty that people and nature need, it must include four essential binding global rules that regulate the production and consumption of plastic across its entire lifecycle: Global bans and phase-outs of the most harmful plastic products and chemicals of concern, starting with an initial ban list; Binding global design requirements for a non-toxic circular economy; A comprehensive and accessible finance package and alignment of financial flows with the treaty's objectives; and Mechanisms for continuous strengthening over time. Decisions made during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2) will determine the future for today's children and generations to come. Failure to agree on a strong, binding treaty risks turning a moment of hope into one of irreversible harm. This is a pivotal moment. Inaction now could lead to long-term consequences for people and nature. DM Zaynab Sadan is the Global Plastics Policy Lead for WWF. The lead researcher on the synthesis report is Professor Stefan Krause from the University of Birmingham.
The Herald
25-07-2025
- The Herald
Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks, US says Hamas not showing good faith
Women going to fetch aid for their families on Thursday said US contractors organising distribution asked them to come to pick up goods and fired teargas and pepper spray at them. 'The Americans said 'go, go' and then said no, get back. They sprayed us with pepper spray so we went away. Five minutes later they shot teargas at us. Is this American humanitarian aid?' said Mervat al-Sakani. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the aid organisation, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), said a limited amount of pepper spray was used 'to prevent civilian injury due to overcrowding', adding GHF 'didn't want people to get hurt.' The spokesperson said women-only aid distribution had been 'a major success' overall. GHF, a US-and Israeli-backed organisation, began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denied. The UN rights office said on July 15 it had recorded at least 875 killings within the preceding six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food convoys in Gaza, most of them close to GHF distribution points. Most of the deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli military. The military has acknowledged civilians were harmed, saying Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with 'lessons learnt'. Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, said it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent Hamas diverting it. Israel said it has let in enough food for Gazans, and blamed the UN for being slow to deliver it. The UN said it is operating as effectively as possible under conditions imposed by Israel. The war began when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities. Reuters
The South African
23-07-2025
- The South African
SA pushes local foot and mouth vaccine after R72m spend
South Africa has spent over R72 million on about 900 000 doses of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines since March this year. The government is now focusing on manufacturing vaccines locally to respond more quickly to outbreaks and protect agricultural stakeholders from severe economic losses. The Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). The University of Pretoria and Onderstepoort Biological Products are leading a two-day Foot and Mouth Indaba. The gathering aims to develop long-lasting solutions to prevent future outbreaks and reduce dependence on costly imports. Karan Beef, one of South Africa's largest beef producers, just reopened after the outbreak forced it to halt operations, resulting in heavy financial losses. Speaking with SABC News , Dr Dirk Verwoerd, senior veterinarian at Karan Beef, said, 'We closed all three feedlots for two months. That caused severe economic destruction.' Verwoerd stressed that readily available and effective vaccines could have prevented the crisis. 'You have to have strategic vaccines and enough of them,' he added. The outbreak, which began in 2021, spread rapidly across several provinces, driving up demand for vaccines. South Africa currently depends on imports from countries like Botswana, a situation that experts describe as unsustainable and expensive. ARC President and CEO Dr Litha Magingxa confirmed that researchers are close to finalising a locally developed vaccine. 'South Africa has made great progress in vaccine development. We have a vaccine that's now being registered, and we are finalising some of the remaining trials,' said Magingxa. The government has urged the private sector to provide stronger financial backing to speed up the production of locally manufactured vaccines. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
