16 Mar 2022

North West District has not experienced any clinical cases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in recent years.

North West District Council (NWDC) chairperson, Mr Kebareeditse Ntsogotho reported during full council meeting in Maun Wednesday that since there were no cases of FMD, movement restrictions on cloven hooved and their fresh products had been lifted.

The council chairperson said Department of Veterinary Services embarked on a district wide FMD surveillance and vaccination exercise on October 7th- November 11, 2021.

This exercise he said was coupled with surveillance for other diseases of economic importance like Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBP) or lung disease, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) also known as sheep and goat plague, rabies, anthrax and lumpy skin disease (LSD).

Mr Ntsogotho informed councilors that a total of 152 483 cattle were vaccinated against FMD from a target of 177 906 cattle which translated into 86 per cent vaccination coverage.

He further noted that a total of 25 420 cattle were vaccinated for anthrax, 41 214 against blackleg and 3 056 pets vaccinated for rabies.

He said all cattle that were presented at the crushes were visually inspected for FMD and CBP, adding that no suspicious cases were reported.

The chairperson indicated that the teams also examined for clinical signs consistent with both the diseases and interviewed farmers to establish whether they had observed any suspicious signs.

Councilor Ntsogotho said FMD Control Unit had concluded and published a paper on the risk of FMD introduction into sub zones 2C and D from the Okavango delta.

He said results showed there was moderate risk of introduction of FMD through the buffaloes and cattle that go into the delta and return to zones 2C and D.

He stated that there was need for continued vaccination and improved husbandry practices which involved herding, kraaling and marketing of beef through commodity based trade (CBT) of beef protocols.

Furthermore he said the risk could be reduced through high FMD vaccination coverage since the fence was regularly challenged heavily by the ever increasing number of elephants in the district.

Councilor Ntsogotho said the study was extended to other sub-zones in the district of which the exercise was expected to be completed in May 2022.

The chairperson stated that the unit was assisting farmers with establishment of private and mobile quarantines in Habu and Eretsha and FMD free compartments in Hainaveld which would open better markets for Ngamiland beef. He reminded farmers that the next FMD vaccination campaign would be in April 2022. ENDS