South Africa: Amajuba District reports FMD outbreak in cattle

The Amajuba District Municipality reported a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in cattle. Recent test results confirmed the presence of the disease in the area. The farming community has been requested not to move cattle and bring animals for vaccination at the nearest dip tank. Any cattle movement during an FMD outbreak is illegal under the Animal Disease Act. Cattle on the road will be returned to their point of departure. Blood sampling will be done across the province to determine the extent of the outbreak. Department of Agriculture spokesperson Joylene van Wyk said cattle at a dip tank in Mtubatuta showed clinical signs of FMD in December. Laboratory tests later confirmed their infection with the SAT1 FMD virus. This strain is like one recently reported in the northern part of Kruger National Park. According to van Wyk, another virus strain – SAT2 FMD – has also been circulating in the district since 2021. Other outbreaks have been observed in the areas around Vryheid and Newcastle.
Van Wyk said control measures in the Disease Management Area are unchanged. The affected dip tanks are quarantined, while vaccinations continue in all of the province. Farmers should limit animal movement, and traders must be cautious when purchasing cattle from areas with an active FMD outbreak. Section 11 of the Animal Disease Act requires that owners and managers take reasonable measures to prevent their animals from becoming infected and spreading the disease. Suspicious clinical symptoms, including blisters in the mouth and excessive salivation, must be reported immediately to local State veterinarians.