-
Cattle at a farm.
Milk Producers Organisation (MPO) in the Western Cape says a suspected case of foot-and-mouth disease in a dairy herd in the Mossel Bay area has been brought to their attention.
In a statement, the MPO says further information will be communicated as soon as there are more developments or confirmation.
The organisation made an appeal to tighten and strictly apply bio-security measures which means restricting movement of animals and vehicles, ensuring proper disinfection of equipment and vehicles and not allowing unauthorised persons access to farms.
Last week, Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen said South Africa had taken a major step in strengthening its response to foot-and-mouth disease with the launch of a locally produced vaccine developed by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).
The vaccine targets the SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3 strains, and will form part of the country’s broader disease control strategy alongside imported doses from Turkey, Argentina and Botswana.
The rollout supports government’s national vaccination plan, which aims to achieve 80% coverage of targeted herds within 12 months, while significantly reducing the spread of the disease across affected areas.
The initiative is expected to strengthen livestock protection, improve national biosecurity, and reduce long-term dependence on imported vaccines.
W Cape ramps up Foot and Mouth Disease prevention:
