The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed a new case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Newcastle, Amajuba District, following laboratory tests on suspected samples on February 10.
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The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed a new case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Newcastle, Amajuba District, following laboratory tests on suspected samples on February 10.
In a statement issued to the media on Monday, the department said that laboratory results have confirmed the presence of FMD virus infection in tissue and blood samples, with virus typing currently underway to determine whether the SAT1 or SAT2 strain is responsible.
This marks the fourth district in the province affected by the outbreak, joining uMkhanyakude, Zululand, and King Cetshwayo.
The department said a team of veterinary services practitioners has been deployed in the area to conduct vaccinations and implement disease control measures.
"In response, a team of veterinary services practitioners has been deployed to the district to conduct vaccinations and implement disease control measures in line with the Disease Management Area (DMA) protocols. The affected dip tanks have been placed under quarantine, and vaccination efforts are ongoing," it said.
"The latest outbreak has resulted in the suspension of animal auction sales and disrupted beef sales in the region".
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MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa has expressed concern over the outbreak, stating that it poses a threat to the region's meat sales.
"Upon my deployment as the MEC for Agriculture in last June, we made strategic efforts to making sure that every dip tank (2,207) in the province has acaricides or dipping chemicals and we encourage our farmers to see to it that they dip their cattle routinely.
The MEC further urged farmers to cooperate with the department to prevent the disease’s spread and to obtain permission from veterinary services before moving livestock.
"Law enforcement agencies will be monitoring roads to prevent the movement of animals to other districts," kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said.
In a separate matter, the department also explained that the recent hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak among schoolchildren in Durban is unrelated to Foot-and-Mouth Disease, which affects only cloven-hoofed animals, as no cases of FMD have been detected in eThekwini.
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