Latest news with #FootandMouthDisease
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Foot and Mouth Disease caused deaths of 16 spotted deer in Pune zoo, reports confirm
The 16 chitals or spotted deer that died at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Pune earlier this month were afflicted with Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), lab reports have confirmed, officials said. 'Based on the laboratory reports of samples, the expert committee has concluded that the primary cause of death of the chitals was due to FMD virus infection,' Rajkumar Jadhav, director, Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, said. 'This disease reduces the immunity of animals, especially under monsoon weather conditions, which increases stress levels and makes animals more vulnerable to fatal infections,' Jadhav added. Earlier, Jadhav had said that there were 99 spotted deer in the facility, and 15 died between July 7 and 12. The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, which is owned by the Pune Municipal Corporation, had involved various government organisations to determine the cause of death of these animals. A team from Dr K N P College of Veterinary Science, Shirwal, and the Regional Disease Investigation Laboratory under the Maharashtra Department of Animal Husbandry was called in for the postmortem and collection of biological samples from the dead animals. The collected biological samples were sent for testing to the ICAR-National Institute on Foot and Mouth Disease in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly, the Regional Wildlife Research and Training Centre in Nagpur, and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal. The test results and laboratory reports from Bhubaneswar matched with the earlier preliminary findings, Jadhav said, adding that as per the report from the National Institute on Foot and Mouth Disease, the chitals in the zoological park were infected with FMD virus. A wild animal health advisory committee was organised on Friday to implement effective epidemic control measures in the zoo, Jadhav said, adding that it was attended by several experts. The timely involvement of government institutions working in the region helped ensure that the postmortems were conducted and biological samples were collected, Jadhav said. 'Due to these efforts, the mortality among the animals was brought under control in a short period. Currently, the situation is under control, and the health of the affected animals is improving,' he said. Meanwhile, the PMC has issued an advisory to all cattle owners and dairy owners in the city to check their animals for lumpy skin disease as per the directions of the state government.
The South African
7 days ago
- Health
- The South African
SA pushes local foot and mouth vaccine after R72m spend
South Africa has spent over R72 million on about 900 000 doses of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines since March this year. The government is now focusing on manufacturing vaccines locally to respond more quickly to outbreaks and protect agricultural stakeholders from severe economic losses. The Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Council (ARC). The University of Pretoria and Onderstepoort Biological Products are leading a two-day Foot and Mouth Indaba. The gathering aims to develop long-lasting solutions to prevent future outbreaks and reduce dependence on costly imports. Karan Beef, one of South Africa's largest beef producers, just reopened after the outbreak forced it to halt operations, resulting in heavy financial losses. Speaking with SABC News , Dr Dirk Verwoerd, senior veterinarian at Karan Beef, said, 'We closed all three feedlots for two months. That caused severe economic destruction.' Verwoerd stressed that readily available and effective vaccines could have prevented the crisis. 'You have to have strategic vaccines and enough of them,' he added. The outbreak, which began in 2021, spread rapidly across several provinces, driving up demand for vaccines. South Africa currently depends on imports from countries like Botswana, a situation that experts describe as unsustainable and expensive. ARC President and CEO Dr Litha Magingxa confirmed that researchers are close to finalising a locally developed vaccine. 'South Africa has made great progress in vaccine development. We have a vaccine that's now being registered, and we are finalising some of the remaining trials,' said Magingxa. The government has urged the private sector to provide stronger financial backing to speed up the production of locally manufactured vaccines. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Steenhuisen calls for a robust strategy to combat Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak
This comes as the agricultural industry is reeling from the economic toll of the ongoing FMD outbreak, with losses that run into hundreds of millions of rand and threatened food security. Image: Neo Ntsoma/Independent Newspapers Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, has decried the country's level of preparedness to deal with the outbreak of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). This comes as the agricultural industry is reeling from the economic toll of the ongoing FMD outbreak, with losses that run into hundreds of millions of rand and threatened food security. Speaking at the FMD Indaba on Monday, Steenhuisen said the disease has brought sobering lessons to light, exposing weaknesses in the response system during the most recent outbreak. 'What we saw was a response system stretched to its limits, with breakdowns in communication, severe delays in vaccine availability, confusion over movement controls, and an alarming lack of readiness at several levels of government. Farmers were unsure of the measures. Provinces were uncertain of the protocols. And while the virus spread, trust in the State's capacity to respond continued to erode,' Steenhuisen said. 'One of the most damaging consequences of this outbreak was our inability to contain the economic fallout. Because South Africa has no functional regionalisation framework, the entire country was penalised through the eyes of our trading partners, despite the outbreak being localised to specific zones. Exports of cloven-hoofed animals, and their products, were suspended or slowed. Jobs were lost. And the reputational damage to our animal health system is one that will take time, and action, to repair. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'The core lesson is this: we cannot continue managing FMD outbreaks with outdated structures and fragmented authority, hoping that a patchwork of short-term measures will deliver long-term stability. We need an innovative approach––one that is science-based, constitutionally aligned, and practically implementable.' As a result, Steenhuisen said the industry must urgently and properly regionalise its disease control framework. Steenhuisen said every credible trading nation acknowledges that a localized outbreak should not lead to sweeping restrictions across an entire country yet South Africa lags in establishing, certifying, and maintaining disease control zones that align with international standards. 'Let me be clear: the failure to regionalise is not due to a lack of veterinary science. It is due to a lack of institutional coordination, legal clarity and capacity,' he said. 'To address this, I have appointed two senior veterinarians, Dr Emily Mogajane and Dr Nomsa Mnisi with extensive field, government and international trade experience to lead the development of a comprehensive national regionalisation framework.' Steenhuisen said another glaring issue during the outbreak was the lack of vaccine availability. With the national FMD vaccine bank depleted, South Africa was forced to import vaccines from Botswana, underscoring a system that is not sustainable given our livestock footprint and export ambitions. Steenhuisen said the government was stabilising Onderstepoort Biological Products, the leading distributor of livestock vaccines, but that will take time thus vaccine security requires private sector partnership. 'We are calling on the livestock industry, especially the red meat, dairy and game sectors, to begin co-financing vaccine procurement,' Steenhuisen said. 'This does not mean you will manage the vaccines or the cold chains. But it does mean that, like in other agro-industries, we establish structured partnerships that ensure we are not caught unprepared again.' Furthermore, Steenhuisen said infrastructure deficits within the protection zones have hindered effective movement control. He said animals are often moved illegally due to the absence of local abattoirs or feedlots, complicating the enforcement of necessary regulations. As a result, he said funding will be allocated this year to support the establishment of feedlots and abattoirs within the protection zones, predominantly in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga, creating rural jobs and aiding the enforcement of FMD control measures. To combat the spread of animal diseases and address the growing challenges of climate change, Steenhuisen said investment in scientific research and development was essential. Steenhuisen said initiatives were underway to collaborate with the National Agricultural Marketing Council to earmark a portion of statutory levies for research targeting both animal health and climate resilience. He also said the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) was poised for a resurgence, having recently achieved a surplus, signalling the potential for a renewed focus on core scientific capabilities. Strategic partnerships with institutions such as the University of Pretoria's Biosecurity Hub are set to elevate South Africa's research ecosystem to meet both biosecurity and climate challenges, fostering a more resilient agricultural sector. 'To ensure that these outcomes of this Indaba are not just aspirational but actionable, I will be appointing a dedicated team immediately after this gathering to consolidate the proposals and insights shared here today,' he said. 'This team will be tasked with finalising a practical, time-bound operational plan, one that reflects both the urgency of our challenge and the collective wisdom in this room. That plan will be presented to me within a defined timeframe and will serve as the blueprint for our implementation going forward.' BUSINESS REPORT
The South African
15-07-2025
- Health
- The South African
Foot and mouth disease outbreak confirmed in Free State
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed a new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Free State. Investigators detected the latest case on a commercial farm in Moqhaka Local Municipality, within the Kroonstad State Veterinary area. Veterinary authorities placed the affected property under quarantine on 8 July 2025. By 10 July, lab results confirmed the outbreak. The department responded immediately by deploying control measures, including surveillance, livestock vaccination, and containment protocols. Investigators have launched trace-back activities to identify the source of the infection. Meanwhile, farms located within a 10-kilometre radius of the affected site are undergoing monitoring to assess the possible spread. As of July 2025, South Africa has recorded 270 outbreaks of FMD across five provinces. Authorities report that 249 outbreaks remain active, while they have resolved only 21. KwaZulu-Natal continues to bear the brunt of the outbreaks, reporting 191 cases, of which 172 are still open. In the Eastern Cape, authorities have recorded 40 outbreaks, with two resolved and no new infections since September 2024. Gauteng has reported 32 cases since May 2025. North West has four active outbreaks, and Mpumalanga has recorded three cases to date. The Department of Agriculture has urged farmers and stakeholders to cooperate fully with veterinary teams as the investigation and containment efforts continue. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
14-07-2025
- Health
- IOL News
New foot and mouth disease outbreak confirmed in Free State
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed a new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) on a commercial farm in the Free State. Image: File The Department of Agriculture has confirmed a new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) on a commercial farm in the Free State. IOL previously reported that the country has been battling FMD for several months, prompting key trading partners, including Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, and China, to suspend imports of meat and related animal products from the country. The affected farm is located in the Moqhaka Local Municipality near Kroonstad and has been placed under quarantine as officials work to contain the spread. In a statement issued to the media on Monday, the department emphasised that the affected properties were placed under quarantine on July 8, 2025, and immediate control measures were implemented. "The affected property was placed under quarantine on 8 July 2025, and immediate control measures were implemented, including surveillance and vaccination," the department said. "Traceback activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10-km radius are undergoing surveillance to determine the possible extent of the spread". Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ According to the department, as of July 2025, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across five provinces in South Africa. Of these, 249 outbreaks remain unresolved, while 21 have undergone resolution. "Eastern Cape has recorded 40 outbreaks, with 38 still open and two resolved. There have been no new reported cases in the Eastern Cape since September 2024. KwaZulu-Natal has been the most affected province, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which 172 remain active and 19 have been resolved. "Since May 2025, Gauteng has reported 32 outbreaks, North West has four open outbreaks, while Mpumalanga has reported three outbreaks." The Department has also issued a correction to a recent Government Gazette notice regarding the Disease Management Area (DMA) in KwaZulu-Natal. The new notice (Gazette Notice 6396 of 4 July 2025) replaces the previous notice (Gazette Notice 5997 of 17 March 2025) and corrects the omission of several areas that remain under DMA restrictions. "We sincerely apologise for any confusion caused and request all stakeholders to take note of the following areas that are declared to be part of the KwaZulu-Natal DMA:" These include the whole of the following local municipalities: Big Five Hlabisa, Mtubatuba, Nongoma, Ulundi, Umhlabuyalingana, Jozini, Pongola, Abaqulusi, Umfolozi, uMhlathuze, Mthonjaneni, Nqutu, Nkandla, uMlalazi, and Mandeni. Also included are portions of the following municipalities: Emadlangeni (south of R34 from R33), Newcastle (south of R34 and east of N11), Dannhauser (east of N11 and north of R68), Endumeni (north of R68 and east of R33), Msinga (east of R33), UMvoti (east of R33 up to R74 and north of R74), Maphumulo (north-east of R74), Ndwedwe (east of R74), and KwaDukuza (north-east of R74 up to the N2 and west to the N2 up to Mandeni). IOL Business Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
