There has been an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at two dairy farms in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development said on Wednesday.
It said preliminary investigations indicated this to be a new infection and further investigations to identify the source of the outbreak were ongoing.
“Animals in neighbouring farms and communal areas have tested negative. This is good news as it makes the case to be isolated to these two farms belonging to the same owner,” the department said.
The Eastern Cape provincial veterinary services placed the affected farms under quarantine. Immediate neighbours were placed under precautionary quarantine, pending clinical and serological investigation to determine their status.
The department said animals newly brought onto a farm must be kept separate from the resident herds for at least 28 days. It advised farmers to not allow animals onto the farm without a health clearance from a veterinarian at origin of the animals.
The department said foot and mouth disease is a controlled and notifiable disease in terms of the Animal Diseases Act. Any person who knows about the presence or suspicion of the disease must immediately report it to the nearest state veterinarian.
TimesLIVE
Foot and mouth disease detected at two farms in Humansdorp
All animals on neighbouring farms and communal areas declared disease-free
Image: Aurélie Le Moigne/123rf.com/ File photo
There has been an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at two dairy farms in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, the department of agriculture, land reform and rural development said on Wednesday.
It said preliminary investigations indicated this to be a new infection and further investigations to identify the source of the outbreak were ongoing.
“Animals in neighbouring farms and communal areas have tested negative. This is good news as it makes the case to be isolated to these two farms belonging to the same owner,” the department said.
The Eastern Cape provincial veterinary services placed the affected farms under quarantine. Immediate neighbours were placed under precautionary quarantine, pending clinical and serological investigation to determine their status.
The department said animals newly brought onto a farm must be kept separate from the resident herds for at least 28 days. It advised farmers to not allow animals onto the farm without a health clearance from a veterinarian at origin of the animals.
The department said foot and mouth disease is a controlled and notifiable disease in terms of the Animal Diseases Act. Any person who knows about the presence or suspicion of the disease must immediately report it to the nearest state veterinarian.
TimesLIVE
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