Amajuba District Municipality reports Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in cattle

The Amajuba District Municipality has announced it has a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. This comes after the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development received test results confirming the ongoing presence of FMD viruses in the province. 

The Amajuba District Municipality reported an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle over the weekend. 

The municipality said the following must be considered: 

• The farming community is requested not to move cattle while the Department of Agriculture works to bring the disease under control.
• All cattle in the affected area as determined by the Department of Agriculture must be presented for vaccination at the nearest dip tank.
• Moving cattle during the FMD outbreak is illegal under the Animal Disease Act.
• Cattle being transported by road will be returned to where they came from.
• Blood sampling will be done to determine the spread of the disease throughout the district. 

Department spokesperson Joylene van Wyk said cattle at a dip tank in Mtubatuba have tested positive for FMD. These cattle exhibited clinical signs of FMD in December, leading to sample collection. Laboratory results confirmed the introduction of a SAT1 FMD virus into the area.

She said that a SAT2 FMD event has been ongoing in the region since 2021, further investigations were conducted, confirming that the detected SAT1 virus is similar to one recently identified in the northern part of Kruger National Park.

“Over the past two weeks, clinical signs of FMD have also been observed in districts around Vryheid and Newcastle. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the FMD virus, with virus typing still in progress to determine whether these outbreaks were caused by a SAT1 or SAT2 strain,” Van Wyk explained. 

She said control measures within the Disease Management Area remain unchanged. The affected dip tanks remain under quarantine, and vaccination efforts in the area continue. The vaccine being used covers all three FMD SAT strains. Dip tanks in newly affected areas have also been quarantined.

“These outbreaks highlight the persistent threat of FMD and the critical need for stringent control measures to prevent its spread,” Van Wyk said.

Livestock owners were reminded that control measures implemented nationwide since October 2022 must be strictly followed to reduce the risk of further spread: 

• Cloven-hoofed livestock across South Africa may only be moved if accompanied by a health declaration from the owner, confirming the animals’ health at the time of movement.
• Any newly introduced cattle, sheep or goats must be kept separate from resident herds for at least 28 days.

Van Wyk said livestock farmers should limit animal movement. Auctioneers and livestock owners should be cautious when purchasing cloven-hoofed animals from provinces with active FMD outbreaks. No cloven-hoofed animals should be accepted from areas under FMD restrictions in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

She said Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act legally requires animal owners or managers to take reasonable measures to prevent their animals from becoming infected and spreading diseases.

Essential biosecurity measures include:

• Limit or postpone the introduction of new animals whenever possible. If new animals must be introduced, they should come only from known clean farms with a valid health declaration.
• Prevent nose-to-nose contact between farm animals and animals outside the farm.
• Maintain secure farm boundaries.
• Restrict access to farms for people and vehicles as much as possible.

Van Wyk said any suspicious clinical symptoms—including excessive salivation, blisters in the mouth, limping, or hoof lesions—must be reported immediately to the local State veterinarian. Infected animals must not be moved under any circumstances.

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za