The North West Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, specifically within the JB Marks Local Municipality, raising concerns for the region’s livestock industry.
According to departmental spokesperson Emelda Setlhako, the first case was reported by a private veterinarian who observed suspicious signs during a farm visit. “The State Veterinarian collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (OVI) to test for the disease,” Setlhako said, confirming the presence of FMD.
A second incident was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng, where clinical signs were missed during ante-mortem inspection but identified on the slaughter line during meat inspection. “Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory, and the results came back confirming both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus,” Setlhako stated. Unslaughtered animals were returned to their farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, under a Red Cross permit.
Both farms linked to the outbreak have been placed under quarantine, prohibiting the movement of animals and animal products. The department has also identified farms connected to a related outbreak in Gauteng, which are now under precautionary quarantine and being sampled to determine if they are infected.
Setlhako urged farmers to report suspected cases immediately, noting that FMD affects cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and other cloven-hoofed animals, both domestic and wild. Symptoms include fever, lameness, and vesicles and sores in the mouth, feet, and teats.