Foot-and-Mouth outbreak in Limpopo

"The outbreak was confirmed by laboratory tests conducted last week," department spokesman Antoinette Fourie said in a statement.

"The outbreak occurred just north of Phalaborwa, in a communal grazing area and is located within South Africa's foot-and-mouth protection zone, in the area where vaccination for the disease is practised," she said.

Foot-and-mouth disease is an infectious, sometimes fatal viral disease which affects cloven-hoofed animals. The virus causes fever and blisters and can spread through aerosols, contact with contaminated farming equipment, vehicles, clothing or food and through domestic and wild predators.

Fourie said the province's veterinary service was investigating.

"[It is] applying control measures such as quarantine of the affected cattle and movement control of animals in the surrounding areas along with vaccinating the herds," Fourie said.

Source: Sapa via I-Net Bridge