The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
AN outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) has been reported at two farms in the Fort Rixon area of Matabeleland South Province.
Matabeleland South Department of Veterinary Services provincial officer Dr Enart Mdlongwa confirmed the outbreak but said control measures have since been put in place to curb it from spreading.
“I can confirm that we had an outbreak but it was quite localised. We have since vaccinated that area and we are on top of the situation. However, investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of the disease,” he said.
Dr Mdlongwa could not be drawn to divulge more information pertaining to the outbreak, referring all the questions to the Department’s director, Dr Josphat Nyika.
However, Sunday News Business is reliably informed that the outbreak was detected in the first week of February.
An outbreak of FMD hit Limpopo Province in South Africa in January culminating in Zimbabwe temporarily suspending importation of live, cloven-hoofed and related products from the neighbouring country as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
FMD is a severe, highly contagious viral disease of livestock with significant economic impact. The disease affects cattle and pigs as well as sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed ruminants. All species of deer and antelope as well as elephant, and giraffe are susceptible to FMD.
@DNsingo
