AGRICULTURE NEWS - The Western Cape Veterinary Services confirmed a case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on a farm near Gouda.
The affected property has been placed under quarantine, along with two other properties in the Velddrif and Bredasdorp areas from where cattle are believed to have been moved to the Gouda farm.
All properties with cloven-hoofed animals within a 10km radius of the affected area have also been quarantined. Veterinary teams are conducting thorough inspections and surveillance on these farms.
The Western Cape Agriculture Department says an investigation into the transport company involved is currently underway, and all properties that have had contact with this company in the past 30 days will be traced and inspected.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a controlled animal disease in South Africa. While it poses no risk to humans, it is highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The virus spreads easily through direct animal contact or indirectly via contaminated vehicles, equipment, clothing, or feed.
To prevent further spread of the disease, Western Cape Veterinary Services urges all livestock owners not to move any cloven-hoofed animals while the extent of the outbreak is being assessed. Any movement of livestock into or within the province must be reported via this link.
By law, such movement must be accompanied by:
- An owner’s declaration of origin and health status; and
- A recipient’s declaration confirming that the animals will be isolated for at least 28 days upon arrival.
Both forms are available here.
For further information on foot-and-mouth disease and the contact details of Veterinary Services offices in the Western Cape, click here.
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