THE Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries says it hopes to complete its foot-and-mouth disease vaccinations, currently under way in northern Zululand, within the next six months.
Since an outbreak earlier this year, vets have attended to more than 180,000 animals in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Ingwavuma area, north of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (Isimangaliso), the Mkuze Nature Reserve and the area east of the Pongola Nature Reserve, as well as parts of Mtubatuba, were declared foot-and-mouth controlled areas.
More than 300000 animals are expected to be vaccinated.
During the outbreak, the department collected samples from parts of uMkhanyakude district and minimised the movement of cloven-hooved animals as part of precautionary measures to deal with the disease. Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral illness that affects cloven-hooved animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
The department's Steve Galane said they were pleased with progress made so far.
"Foot-and-mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal is under control," he said.
Galane said the department had learned from the experience and hoped to prevent a similar outbreak in future.
The last major outbreak in South Africa began on a pig farm in KwaZulu-Natal in September 2000 and the department conceded that it took almost five years before South Africa fully regained its FMD-free status.
"Every time we have this type of challenge, there are lessons that we learn," Galane said.
Foot-and-mouth 'is under control'
THE Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries says it hopes to complete its foot-and-mouth disease vaccinations, currently under way in northern Zululand, within the next six months.
Since an outbreak earlier this year, vets have attended to more than 180,000 animals in the uMkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal.
The Ingwavuma area, north of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park (Isimangaliso), the Mkuze Nature Reserve and the area east of the Pongola Nature Reserve, as well as parts of Mtubatuba, were declared foot-and-mouth controlled areas.
More than 300000 animals are expected to be vaccinated.
During the outbreak, the department collected samples from parts of uMkhanyakude district and minimised the movement of cloven-hooved animals as part of precautionary measures to deal with the disease. Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral illness that affects cloven-hooved animals, including domestic and wild bovids. The virus causes a high fever for two or three days, followed by blisters inside the mouth and on the feet that may rupture and cause lameness.
The department's Steve Galane said they were pleased with progress made so far.
"Foot-and-mouth disease in KwaZulu-Natal is under control," he said.
Galane said the department had learned from the experience and hoped to prevent a similar outbreak in future.
The last major outbreak in South Africa began on a pig farm in KwaZulu-Natal in September 2000 and the department conceded that it took almost five years before South Africa fully regained its FMD-free status.
"Every time we have this type of challenge, there are lessons that we learn," Galane said.
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