WINDHOEK, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Namibia has detected an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in its internationally recognised disease-free zone, prompting authorities to suspend the movement, import and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products.
• Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious viral infection that mainly affects cattle, causing painful blisters in the mouth and on hooves. Although it is not often fatal, especially among adult cattle, it affects livestock productivity.
• Acting Agriculture Minister Charles Mubita told parliament on Wednesday that the disease was detected during routine surveillance on a commercial farm in the southern Kharas Region.
• The region borders South Africa, which is battling its worst outbreak of the disease in years and plans to vaccinate 80% of its national cattle herd of about 14 million animals.
• Mubita said 10 of 11 samples collected from cattle showing symptoms on September 22 tested positive the following day, confirming an active outbreak.
• Namibia has suspended the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products nationwide, and halted imports and exports of such animals until further notice, measures that Mubita said would have serious economic consequences.
(Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa;Writing by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
