/ 17 September 2000

Foot and mouth: EU ban looms

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Saturday

SOUTH Africa’s agricultural trade faces an “immediate and devastating” embargo from foreign markets after the first outbreak of foot and mouth disease outside the Kruger National Park since 1956 was reported on a pig farm near Pietermaritzburg.

The Camperdown farm where the outbreak was reported and surrounding farms have been placed under strict quarantine, including the movement of people. More than 70 pigs have died from the disease.

Brian Weaver, director of veterinary services in KwaZulu-Natal, said the European community would place an embargo on all South Africa’s agricultural produce, even wheat and grain, and trade would not resume “until we have the disease under control.”

Weaver said that it was suspected that the pigs contracted the infection from swill illegally obtained from a ship passing through Durban harbour. The virus for foot and mouth disease identified by the laboratory was foreign to South Africa.

Further testing would determine the possible country of origin of the virus, but Weaver said the virus definitely came from outside South Africa.

“It is one of the most contagious animal diseases and has major significance in terms of world trade,” said Weaver.

He added that some countries would continue to import agricultural produce from areas in South Africa that were free of foot and mouth.

“But the EU countries will not import produce until the whole of South Africa is declared a disease-free zone.”

The outbreak is currently confined to one farm, but this will only be confirmed after intensive inspections on all surounding farms have been completed.

Weaver said farms outside the quarantine area, and the rest of the foot and mouth disease-free area in KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces, would not be affected by this outbreak.

The disease affects all cloven-hoofed animals (pigs, cattle, sheep and goats). It can be transmitted to humans but is not life-threatening.