Rapid Response Team Established to Combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreaks

The newly formed rapid response team is tasked with providing immediate support and critical decision-making within the first 48 hours of an FMD outbreak.

In response to ongoing outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has established a rapid response team to address the situation effectively and mitigate further spread. This move comes after the declaration of a Disease Management Area (DMA) last week to control the movement of cattle, sheep, goats, and their products in specific regions.

The newly formed rapid response team is tasked with providing immediate support and critical decision-making within the first 48 hours of an FMD outbreak. The team, appointed under Section 2(1) of the Animal Diseases Act, includes a group of seven experts from both government and industry. The members are:

Dr. Mpho Maja

Dr. Shaun Morris

Dr. J. Strydom

Dr. Patricia Froneman

Dr. Matlou Rabala

Dr. Gerhard Neethling

The team’s responsibilities include maintaining regular communication with affected parties, offering guidelines for handling dairy, meat, and other products from affected areas, and advising on the economic impact of the disease on local agriculture.

In a bid to control the spread of FMD, the Department of Agriculture has declared a Disease Management Area encompassing parts of the Kouga and Kou-Kamma Municipalities in the Eastern Cape. This declaration follows the confirmation of FMD in cattle across 26 farms in these municipalities.

Measures implemented include:

Vaccination: Cattle on affected farms have been vaccinated to reduce their viral load and manage the severity of the disease, particularly in dairy cattle.

Quarantine: Infected farms are under quarantine with strict movement controls.

The Department of Agriculture highlights the importance of the disease's incubation period, where animals may appear healthy but can still shed the virus. Farmers are urged to maintain stringent biosecurity measures to protect their herds from infection.

Under Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act, owners and managers of animals are legally obligated to take all reasonable steps to prevent the spread of disease from their animals or properties to others. The establishment of the rapid response team and the implementation of the DMA are key steps in managing and controlling the current FMD outbreaks and safeguarding South Africa's agricultural sector.