GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - The only local municipal area in the Garden Route affected by the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak remains Mossel Bay.
“To date all suspected farms could be traced back to the index farm in the Hartenbos area,” said Gerhard Otto, the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) head of disaster management.
Otto said the GRDM FMD multi-agency command structure remains activated and weekly JOC meetings are convened at the GRDM disaster management centre with all role-players present.
The number of farms which have tested positive for FMD remains at seven, with only one suspected farm’s test still pending.
Other statistics to date:
• Farms vaccinated: 197 (increased by 9)
• Farms inspected for traces of FMD: 242
• Vaccines administered: 45 076 (close to 40% of the total of 141 850 cattle in the district)
The state vet, Dr Leana Janse van Rensburg, reported that FMD booster vaccines are currently being rolled out in the Mossel Bay area.
Otto further said the approval of at least one abattoir to be used for the slaughtering of FMD positive animals remains a priority as some farms show severe signs of mastitis that would require animals to be slaughtered.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
