Die Departement van Landbou het aangekondig dat die bek-en-klouseer-uitbreking, wat gedurende 2021-2022 plaasgevind het, suksesvol opgelos is in die Noordwes, Vrystaat, Gauteng en Mpumalanga.
Hierdie provinsies, wat aanvanklik deur die uitbreking geraak is, het nou omvattende toetsing van diere op plase in kwarantyn voltooi. Die resultate dui daarop dat die bek-en-klouseer-virus nie meer teenwoordig is nie.
Die Wêreldorganisasie vir Dieregesondheid het bevestig dat die uitbreking in dié streke amptelik gesluit is. Dit is egter belangrik om daarop te let dat KwaZulu-Natal en die Oos-Kaap steeds deur bek-en-klouseer-uitbrekings geraak word. Dit is bemoedigend dat geen nuwe tekens van die siekte die afgelope maand in dié twee provinsies aangemeld is nie.
Die Minister van Landbou betuig sy dank aan alle belanghebbendes vir die nakoming van beheermaatreëls, wat gehelp het om die verdere verspreiding van die siekte te voorkom. Die samewerking van alle rolspelers was instrumenteel in die bestuur van hierdie uitbreking en die beveiliging van die land se veebedryf.
Statusopdatering oor bek-en-klouseer in die Oos-Kaap
In die Humansdorp-omgewing is 37 plase nou positief vir bek-en-klouseer bevestig, terwyl ‘n verdere 38 plase vooraf ingeënt is om verdere verspreiding van die siekte te voorkom. Sedert die aanvang van die uitbreking is ongeveer 130 000 diere regoor die provinsie ingeënt.
Plase wat óf besmet óf ingeënt is, bly onder kwarantyn, met dierebewegings wat beperk word. Verskuiwing vanaf hierdie plase word slegs toegelaat vir direkte slag met staatsveeartsenykundige goedkeuring. Daar word van plaaseienaars verwag om streng biosekuriteitsmaatreëls toe te pas om te verhoed dat die siekte deur diere, voertuie, toerusting of mense versprei.
Op 26 Julie 2024 het die Departement ‘n bek-en-klouseer-siektebestuursgebied verklaar wat dele van die Kouga en Kou-Kamma Munisipaliteite dek. Dierebewegings in, deur, binne of uit hierdie area word streng beheer en vereis staatsveeartsenykundige toestemming. Plase binne die siektebestuursgebied moet geïnspekteer, getoets en vry van die siekte verklaar word voordat enige diere toegelaat word om te beweeg. Vier geaffekteerde plase wat op die grense van die siektebestuursgebied geleë is, is onder kwarantyn geplaas en hou gevolglik geen risiko van beesbeweging in nie. Toesig rondom hierdie plase is afgehandel, en geen verdere verspreiding is buite die siektebestuursgebied opgespoor nie.
Die departement werk aktief saam met wetstoepassers en Agri-Oos-Kaap om gevalle van onwettige dierebewegings te ondersoek. Diegene wat in oortreding van kwarantyn- of siektebestuursgebiedbeperkings gevind word, sal regsgevolge in die gesig staar. Die publiek word versoek om enige inligting rakende onwettige bewegings of oortredings van biosekuriteit aan te meld.
In Oos-Londen is die bek-en-klouseer-uitbreking suksesvol in bedwang gebring. Die Departement betuig sy dankbaarheid teenoor die geaffekteerde boere in die gebied vir hul waaksaamheid en samewerking. Diere op hierdie plase word op ‘n beheerde wyse by aangewese abattoirs geslag, om te verseker dat bek-en-klouseer-risikomateriaal behoorlik verwerk of weggedoen word. Slegs veilige produkte word in die plaaslike mark vrygestel. Terwyl vleis van plase wat beperk is tot bek-en-klouseer weens sertifiseringsbeperkings nie uitgevoer kan word nie, bly dit veilig vir menslike gebruik.
Die Direkteur van Dieregesondheid het drie abattoirs aangewys om die slag van gesplete hoefdiere van plase wat bek-en-klouseer het in kwarantyn te hanteer. Sewentien plase het toestemming gekry vir beheerde slagting by hierdie slagplase.
Verdere uitbreking in KwaZulu-Natal
Intussen het die Departement van Landbou in ‘n persverklaring aangekondig dat die bek-en-klouseer-uitbreking in KwaZulu-Natal ongelukkig na die uPongola Plaaslike Munisipaliteit uitgebrei het. Gevolglik word die grense van die bestaande siektebestuursgebied hersien en sal dit uitgebrei word om nuut geaffekteerde gebiede en geïdentifiseerde risikosones in te sluit. Sedert die uitbreking in Mei 2021 begin het, het KwaZulu-Natal 155 gevalle aangemeld as deel van die SAT 2-bek-en-klouseer-gebeurtenis. Hiervan is 17 uitbrekings opgelos en gesluit by die Wêreldorganisasie vir Dieregesondheid. Daar bly egter 133 aktiewe uitbrekings binne gemeenskaplike diptenks, ‘n paar kleinskaalse plase en vyf wildreservate, wat almal naby mekaar geleë is.
The Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce that the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, which occurred during 2021-2022, has been successfully resolved in the North West, Free State, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga.
These provinces, which were initially impacted by the outbreak, have now completed comprehensive testing of animals on quarantined farms. The results indicate that the FMD virus is no longer present.
The World Organisation for Animal Health has confirmed that the outbreak in these regions has officially been closed. However, it is important to note that the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces remain affected by FMD outbreaks. Encouragingly, no new signs of the disease have been reported in these two provinces over the past month.
The Minister of Agriculture extends his gratitude to all stakeholders for adhering to control measures, which helped prevent the further spread of the disease. The cooperative efforts of all role players have been instrumental in managing this outbreak and safeguarding the country’s livestock industry.
Status update on FMD in the Eastern Cape
In the Humansdorp area, 37 farms have now been confirmed positive for FMD, while a further 38 farms were pre-emptively vaccinated to prevent further spreading of the disease. Since the onset of the outbreak, approximately 130 000 animals have been vaccinated across the province.
Farms that are either infected or vaccinated remain under quarantine, with animal movements restricted. Movement from these farms are only permitted for direct slaughter with state veterinary approval. Farm owners are required to enforce strict biosecurity measures to prevent the disease from spreading through animals, vehicles, equipment, or people.
On 26 July 2024, the Department declared an FMD Disease Management Area (DMA), covering parts of the Kouga and Kou-Kamma Municipalities. Animal movements into, through, within, or out of this area are strictly controlled and require state veterinary permission. Farms within the DMA must be inspected, tested, and declared free of the disease before any animals are allowed to move. Four affected farms located on the borders of the DMA were placed under quarantine and, as a result, pose no risk of cattle movement. Surveillance around these farms has been concluded, and no further spread has been detected outside the DMA.
The Department is actively collaborating with law enforcement and Agri-Eastern Cape to investigate reports of illegal animal movements. Those found in breach of quarantine or DMA restrictions will face legal consequences. The public is urged to report any information regarding illegal movements or breaches of biosecurity.
In East London, the FMD outbreak has been successfully contained. The Department extends its gratitude to the affected farmers in the area for their vigilance and cooperation. Animals on these farms are being slaughtered in a controlled manner at designated abattoirs, ensuring that FMD risk materials are properly processed or disposed of. Only safe products are released into the local market. While meat from FMD-restricted farms cannot be exported due to certification limitations, it remains safe for human consumption.
The Director of Animal Health has designated three abattoirs to handle the slaughter of cloven-hoofed animals from FMD-quarantined farms. Seventeen farms have been granted permission for controlled slaughter at these abattoirs.
Further outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture announced in a press release that in KwaZulu-Natal, the FMD outbreak has unfortunately extended to the uPongola Local Municipality. As a result, the boundaries of the existing DMA are under review and will be expanded to include newly affected areas and identified risk zones. Since the outbreak began in May 2021, the KZN province has reported 155 cases as part of the SAT 2 FMD event. Of these, 17 outbreaks have been resolved and closed with the WOAH. However, 133 active outbreaks remain within communal dip tanks, a few small-scale farms, and five game reserves, all located in close proximity.