Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) poses a major risk for the livestock farming sector in the province.

About 15 000 people are employed in the R 13.5 billion sector.

A proactive risk mitigation vaccination programme has taken place in Fisantekraal near Durbanville to prevent the spread.

Several other areas have tested positive, including farms in Mbekweni in Paarl, Makhaza in Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and the latest being Klapmuts in the Boland.

Winde says, “We do risk mitigation, we’ve got a couple of outbreaks, we zoomed in and dealt with those outbreaks, but today (Sunday), what we are doing, we are actually vaccinating this herd in Fisantekraal, it’s a good roaming herd and of course, if they were infected, they could be the carrier.”

Winde says, “We’ve got a lot of other dairies in the region, we need to protect those dairies, so that’s why we are proactive, there’s been no sign on these, the vets are checking but as we vaccinate we are taking samples so that we run those tests because if we pick it up we are coming in and we quarantine.”

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

State Veterinarian for Animal Health in the Boland, Dr Solomon Bhandi, says although no clinical signs of FMD have been identified in the livestock being vaccinated at Fisantekraal, it is important to conduct preventative measures.

Bhandi says protecting animals with no signs of FMD minimises the risk of the disease spreading.

He says, “Protecting here, the vaccinated ones are protected as we vaccinate. Then we are also protecting the spread of the virus in case it comes here and we know due to the nature of movement of animals, and the threat, the chances are in the communal setup, it’s just a matter of time that it will get there.”

He adds: “What criteria do we then use to say let’s start with this one and this one and this one. It is that one reason of the proximity to the big herds. So just around this area, we have plus or minus 30 000 cattle around that are in the commercial setup.”

VIDEO | FMD risk mitigation vaccination process in Fisantekraal: