South Africa: government supports swift response to FMD outbreak

The South African government supports the swift response of the Department of Agriculture to a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga. To fight the outbreak, the Department has ordered over 900,000 vaccine doses, with the first batch expected to arrive soon. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni acknowledged that, despite official warnings, the continued movement of livestock has probably caused the spread of the disease to Gauteng. To stop this movement, all infected properties have been placed under quarantine, and no movement is allowed to or from them. Large areas have been declared Disease Management Areas, and they apply the same restrictions as quarantined farms. Ntshavheni added that plans are underway to create a biosecurity council that will bring together police forces, veterinarians, scientists, and industry representatives to better respond to future outbreaks and manage the related risks.