The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has expressed relief that preliminary tests indicate that other neighbouring farms in Humansdorp, Eastern Cape, have tested negative for foot-and-mouth disease.
This announcement follows the declaration of an outbreak of the disease on two dairy farms owned by the same individual in Humansdorp.
Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals and investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak.
The Director General of the Department of Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management, Dipepenene Serage stresses the importance of farmers vigilance.
"As soon as the farmers suspect that the animals might be losing weight or they may not be moving If they are in one location, dont move them to another location on the farm. If you move around them and they start limping or they dont even move, that is a suspicion that you need to report, Serage says.
Serage further explains, "They dont necessarily need to see them salivating or producing saliva. They dont have to see them limping. The minute they start losing weight or they are not moving, they must just report that to the nearest department office.
Foot and Mouth | Disease detected in Humansdorp ?
