Source: DALRRD, media release, 28 May 2021, photo credit: Promel Live Stock
The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Ms Thoko Didiza (MP), would like to announce outbreak of Foot-and–Mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in cattle in Mtubatuba under Umkhanyakude District Municipality in KwaZulu- Natal.
The department collected samples on 26 May during routine disease surveillance, after local veterinary officials noticed cattle showing suspicious lesions at one communal location.
The location is in an area that was part of the FMD-free zone prior to the suspension of this internationally recognised status by the OIE in 2019. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Laboratory on 27 May 2021. Viral typing is ongoing to determine the identity of virus involved in this outbreak. A team of officials from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) are conducting further investigations to determine the extent of the outbreak. The control measures will be determined by the findings of this investigation.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
