Published Date: 2022-03-23 10:04:40 GMT
Subject: PRO/AH> Foot & mouth disease - South Africa (03): (NW) conf, st SAT 2, spread, OIE
Archive Number: 20220323.8702168

FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE - SOUTH AFRICA (03): (NORTH WEST) CONFIRMED, SEROTYPE SAT 2, SPREAD, OIE

A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org

Date: Tue 22 Mar 2022
Source: The Citizen (South Africa) [abridged, edited]
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/3055274/foot-and-mouth-disease-22-march-2022/


A case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) was confirmed on a commercial stud farm in the North West province, the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday [22 Mar 2022]. The department's spokesperson, Reggie Ngcobo, said the FMD case in the North West was confirmed through laboratory results after the provincial veterinary services conducted epidemiological investigations.

He said the farm and other linked farms were placed under quarantine, while further surveillance in the area was being conducted to determine the extent of the outbreak. "A joint operations commission (JOC), supported by the local Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) for safety and security, the provincial disaster risk management committees of both Dr Kenneth Kaunda and JB Marks, was established, and its first sitting was on Sun 20 Mar [2022]. All present at the JOC pledged their unwavering support for the control of this outbreak," Ngcobo said in a statement.

FMD affects cattle, pigs (domestic and wild), sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals, both wild and domestic. The virus constantly mutates, and vaccinations for one strain do not protect against others.

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communicated by:
ProMED rapporteur Mahmoud Orabi

[The FMD outbreak in the North West [NW] province was published by ProMED on 20 Mar 2022, requesting official confirmation and details of the serotype involved. An official notification to the OIE has been submitted on 21 Mar 2022. The location of the outbreak, within the NW province, is given as follows: 2nd administrative division - Dr Kenneth Kaunda, and 3rd administrative division - Ventersdorp/Tlokwe.

According to the report, the event, which started on 2 Mar 2022 and was confirmed on 18 Mar 2022, involved 1600 susceptible cattle, of which there were 1100 cases. Its serotype is FMDV SAT-2; the source of the event or origin of the infection is "unknown or inconclusive". The OIE report, including a map, is available at https://wahis.oie.int/#/report-info?reportId=50859.

The above media report also includes the following information about FMD events in 2 other provinces of South Africa:

1. Limpopo: 2 locations in the former FMD free zone, involving cattle in communal grazing areas. One of the 2 new infected locations is in the disease management area [DMA], declared in January 2019; the other is north of it. Other locations in the area with clinical signs suggestive of FMD are under investigation.

2. KwaZulu-Natal: a continuing outbreak. Vaccination campaign has begun.

"Two new affected locations have been identified. One falls just outside of the DMA in the Mthonjaneni municipality, while the other one falls some distance to the south-west of the DMA, in the uMlalazi municipality (near the Nkandla and Maphumulo municipalities)."

"Department of Agriculture urged all farmers, livestock owners, members of industry, and other stakeholders to abide by the movement restrictions in place in both the Limpopo and KZN disease management areas, as well as the restrictions within the affected areas." - Mod.AS

ProMED map of North West Province, South Africa: https://promedmail.org/promed-post?place=8702168,25492.]