Namibia has detected a new strain of foot and mouth disease (FMD). The country’s agriculture Minister Carl Schlettwein made the announcement and said it has infected thousands of cattle.
The viral disease, which causes lesions and lameness in cattle, sheep and other cloven-hoofed animals but does not affect people, was first detected in May in the Zambezi region bordering neighbour Zambia.
Illegal cross-border movement of livestock
However, despite high vaccinations in the affected herds, worried officials noted that infection rates remained high and decided to investigate further. The minister said the new strain was detected in early August for the first time in the southern African nation, adding that investigations found it was introduced into the country from Zambia through the illegal cross-border movement of livestock.
Animals pick up the virus either by direct contact with an infected animal or by contact with foodstuffs or other things which have been contaminated by such an animal, or by eating or coming into contact with some part of an infected carcass. Schlettwein warned that meat exports from Namibia, which is allowed to export beef to China, EU, and United States could be affected by the latest outbreak.
“It is important to highlight that the new FMD serotype O also causes clinical cases in goats and sheep and they can spread the disease further to other susceptible animals. It will also negatively affect the trade agreements that Namibia recently signed with countries, such as Ghana, on the export of meat and meat products,” said Schlettwein.
. The country’s agriculture Minister Carl Schlettwein made the announcement){kind=link}