The Limpopo Department of Agriculture wishes to inform all concerned that the Gravelotte area in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality in the Mopani District is free of the Foot and Mouth disease as from 10 January 2011.
The first suspected outbreak was reported in the area on 12 August 2010, and it was from a diary farm in the Gravelotte area which is in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality of the Mopani District. The report was initially sent by a private Veterinarian who had inspected the herd after a complaint of lameness in the herd. State veterinary Services of the LDA then went to investigate the farm, and from the clinical signs it then became evident that they were dealing with a Foot and Mouth disease outbreak. After tissue and blood samples were taken to Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute on the 12 August 2010 confirmation of positive results were received for FMD outbreak in the area.
The department wishes to thank all the people of Limpopo for their cooperation during the inconvenience of roadblocks and restrictions. The joint operations team of various units worked tirelessly to contain and control the disease were it had affected most. The MEC for Agriculture in Limpopo, Ms Dipuo Letsatsi Duba says the joint operations shows that if we work as a team we can achieve most. She congratulated the officials from the department, especially the veterinary section which despite few resources worked like it’s a war zone.
Enquiries:
Kenny Mathivha
Cell: 082 450 13310
