[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1712124557692{margin-top: 5px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1714567375583{padding-right: 10px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Minister doen ‘n beroep vir biosekuriteit op plase” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Die Onderstepoort-laboratorium het bevestig dat die bek-en-klouseer-infeksie wat op drie plase in Humansdorp in die Oos-Kaap bevestig is, positief vir SAT3 is in terme van serologiese- en PCR-toetse.
Luidens ’n persverklaring deur Thoko Didiza, Minister van Landbou, Grondhervorming en Landelike Ontwikkeling, is die SAT3-virus wat verantwoordelik is vir die uitbreking op die indeksplaas byna identies aan die virus wat die wydverspreide bek-en-klouseer-uitbrekings in 2021-2022 in Limpopo, Noord-Wes, die Vrystaat, Gauteng en Mpumalanga veroorsaak het.
Die Oos-Kaapse Provinsiale Veeartsenydienste het die indeksplaas onder kwarantyn geplaas en ‘n volledige epidemiologiese ondersoek het begin om die moontlike oorsprong en enige ander eiendomme wat in gevaar kan wees, te identifiseer. Onmiddellike bure en alle gekoppelde liggings word onder voorkomende kwarantyn geplaas, hangende ‘n kliniese en serologiese ondersoek om hul bek-en-klouseer-status te bepaal. Daar is ná voorwaartse en agterwaartse opsporing gevind dat een bykomende plaas positiewe gevalle van bek-en-klouseer het. Beeste en skape op die twee besmette plase is teen bek-en-klouseer ingeënt om die viruslading op dié plase te verminder.
‘n Waarskuwing van ‘n derde plaas in die Humansdorp-omgewing waar diere kliniese tekens van bek-en-klouseer toon, is ontvang. Oos-Kaapse Provinsiale Veeartsenydienste het die plaas op 14 Mei 2024 besoek en bevestig dat die kliniese tekens hoogs verdag is vir bek-en-klouseer. Monsters is versamel, na die laboratorium gestuur en die resultate het ‘n bek-en-klouseer-infeksie op die plaas bevestig.
Hierdie uitbreking plaas weer die kollig op die belangrikheid van biosekuriteit op plase. Boere word aangeraai om nie diere op die plaas toe te laat sonder ‘n gesondheidsklaring van ‘n veearts by die oorsprong van die diere nie. Selfs al blyk diere gesond te wees, kan hulle in die vroeë stadiums van infeksie (inkubasietydperk) wees waar hulle besig is om die virus af te skud sonder om nog kliniese tekens van siekte te toon. Soos voorgeskryf deur die Minister van Landbou in September 2022, moet alle beeste, skape en bokke wat op ‘n plaas ingebring word, vir minstens 28 dae afsonderlik van die res van die kudde gehou word.
Bek-en-klouseer is ‘n beheerde dieresiekte ingevolge die Wet op Dieresiektes, 1984 (Wet No 35 van 1984) en die Wet skryf sekere beheermaatreëls voor, soos isolasie- en bewegingsbeheer, wat deur Veeartsenydienste toegepas word.
Sover dit die onlangse oproepe vir gebiedswye bewegingsbeperkings betref, word die besluit om bewegingsbeheermaatreëls in groot gebiede te implementeer nie ligtelik geneem nie, aangesien dit geneig is om hoogs ontwrigtend vir die bedryf as ‘n geheel te wees. Nie net die eienaars van die vee word hierdeur geraak word nie, maar ook ander partye, terwyl dit eers in die Staatskoerant gepubliseer moet word. Intussen is alle eiendomme waar die siekte bevestig is, asook plase binne ‘n radius van 10 km onder kwarantyn geplaas. Geen vatbare diere (beeste, skape, bokke, varke en gesplete hoewewild) word toegelaat om in, uit en deur hierdie plase te beweeg nie.
Bek-en-klouseer word hoofsaaklik oorgedra wanneer diere met ‘n gesplete hoef tussen verskillende plekke beweeg, en alle eienaars word versoek om nie diere te skuif as daar ‘n vermoede van siekte bestaan nie.
Minister Didiza het beklemtoon dat Artikel 11 van die Dieresiekteswet ‘n wetlike verpligting op enige eienaar of bestuurder van diere plaas om alle redelike stappe te neem om te verhoed dat hul diere met enige siekte besmet word en om die verspreiding van enige siekte vanaf hul diere of grond na ander diere of ander eiendomme te verhoed. Dit is dus belangrik om daarop te let dat die verantwoordelikheid vir die beheer van dieresiektes, insluitende bek-en-klouseer, by almal berus, het sy publiek of privaat, en nie beperk is tot die regering nie. Sonder die samewerking van vee-eienaars en -bestuurders, sal dit onmoontlik wees om die gewenste beheer- en uitwissingsdoelwitte te behaal. Vee-eienaars moet ook alle redelike voorsorgmaatreëls tref om te verseker dat hul diere nie met enige beheerde siekte besmet raak nie, en dat hulle nie die verspreiding van siektes vanaf hul persele toelaat indien ‘n siekte vermoed word nie.
Indien enige verdagte kliniese simptome (speekselskeiding, blase in die mond, mank of letsels of die hoewe) gesien word, moet dit onmiddellik by die plaaslike Staatsveearts aangemeld word en sulke diere mag onder geen omstandighede verskuif word nie.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1714567367187{border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;border-left-color: #020202 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Minister calls for biosecurity on farms” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]The Onderstepoort laboratory confirmed that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) infection which has been confirmed on three farms in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape are positive for SAT3 on serology and PCR tests.
According to a press release by Thoko Didiza, Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, the SAT3 virus responsible for the outbreak on the index farm is almost identical to the virus that caused the widespread FMD outbreaks in 2021-2022 in Limpopo, North West, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Veterinary Services placed the index farm under quarantine and a full epidemiological investigation has commenced to identify the possible origin and any other properties that could be at risk. Immediate neighbours and all linked locations are placed under precautionary quarantine, pending clinical and serological investigation to determine their FMD status. One additional farm was found to be positive for FMD as a result of the forward and backward tracing. Cattle and sheep on the two affected farms were vaccinated against FMD to reduce the viral load on these farms.
An alert was received of a third farm in the Humansdorp area where animals were showing clinical signs of FMD. Eastern Cape Provincial Veterinary Services visited the farm on 14 May 2024 and confirmed that the clinical signs are highly suspicious for FMD. Samples were collected and dispatched to the laboratory and the results confirmed FMD infection on the farm.
These recent outbreaks again put the spotlight on the importance of biosecurity on farms. Farmers are advised to not allow animals onto the farm without a health clearance from a veterinarian at origin of the animals. Even if animals appear to be healthy, they can be in the early stages of infection (incubation period) where they are shedding virus without showing clinical signs of disease yet. As prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture in September 2022, all cattle, sheep and goats newly brought onto a farm must be kept separated from the resident herds for at least 28 days.
FMD is a controlled animal disease in terms of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No 35 of 1984) and the Act prescribes certain control measures, like isolation and movement control, that are being enforced by Veterinary Services.
Regarding the recent calls for area wide movement restrictions, the decision to implement movement controls in large areas is not taken lightly as they tend to be highly disruptive to industry as a whole by impacting not only those whose animals affected but also innocent bystanders and must be duly Gazetted. In the meantime, all properties where the disease has been confirmed, as well as farms in the 10km radius, have been placed under quarantine. No susceptible animals (Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and cloven hooved game) are allowed onto move into, out of and through these farms.
Foot and mouth disease is transmitted mainly by the movement of live clove hoofed livestock between different locations, and all owners are urged not to move animals if there is a suspicion of illness.
Minister Didiza emphasised that Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act imposes a legal duty on any owner or manager of animals to take all reasonable steps to prevent their animals from becoming infected with any disease and to prevent the spread of any disease from their animals or land to other animals or other properties. It is thus important to note that the responsibility for controlling animal diseases, including FMD, lies with all of us, public or private, and is not limited to government, without the cooperation of animal owners and managers, it will be impossible to achieve the desired control and eradication objectives. Livestock owners must also take all reasonable precautions to ensure that their animals do not become infected with any controlled disease, and that they do not allow the spread of disease from their premises, should a disease be suspected.
Should any suspicious clinical symptoms (salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping or hoof lesions) be seen, it should be reported to the local State Veterinarian immediately and such animals must not be moved under any circumstances.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]