The Drakenstein Municipality’s (DM) Department of Public Safety is assisting the Western Cape Department of Agriculture in containing a confirmed case of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in Gouda.
“The affected area has been identified and access points into the area are monitored by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and provincial traffic authorities,” the DM said in a statement.
“SAPS and the Department of Agriculture are patrolling inside the area, while the DM’a law enforcement officers are engaging with small-scale farmers and owners of stray animals to ensure compliance and safety.”
READ: Foot-and-Mouth Disease case confirmed near Gouda, two more farms quarantined
The municipality will also remain visible in the area throughout the weekend, according to the statement.
Residents and visitors are urged to cooperate with authorities and follow all instructions. The DM emphasised that community safety and the protection of livestock remain top priorities.
Western Cape Veterinary Services confirmed the case on 6 November on a farm near Gouda.
“The affected property has been placed under quarantine, along with two other properties in the Velddrif and Bredasdorp areas from where cattle are believed to have been moved to the Gouda farm. All properties with cloven-hoofed animals within a 10 km radius of the affected area have also been quarantined. Veterinary teams are conducting thorough inspections and surveillance on these farms,” the Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDA) said in a statement.
Veterinary teams are conducting inspections and surveillance on affected and surrounding farms, while an investigation into the transport company involved is under way. Properties that have had contact with this company in the past 30 days are being traced and inspected, according to the WCDA.
“FMD is a controlled animal disease in South Africa. While it poses no risk to humans, it is highly contagious among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The virus spreads easily through direct animal contact or indirectly via contaminated vehicles, equipment, clothing, or feed.”
Western Cape Veterinary Services has urged all livestock owners not to move any cloven-hoofed animals while the outbreak is being assessed.
By law, livestock movements must be reported via the Animal Movement App and accompanied by the required declarations available on the Department of Agriculture’s website.
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