South Africa: Progress on the Foot and Mouth Outbreak in the Mtubatuba Area in KwaZulu Natal Province South Africa

On May 28, 2021, an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in cattle was confirmed in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Twenty-nine locations have been identified as FMD positive and reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The two feedlots that were affected by the outbreak have been placed under quarantine. Following the loss of the OIE recognized FMD-free status in January 2019, the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) negotiated agreements with trade partners on the export of safe commodities, including heat-treated meat and dairy products, deboned and matured beef, scoured wool, salted hides and skins and livestock embryos. Although these agreements allowed for a trade continuation, Botswana and Eswatini have implemented trade restrictions. A Ministerial Task Team on Animal Biosecurity with special emphasis on Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza has been appointed to address the current animal health challenge.