New momentum in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease

With foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) running amok in several provinces, there is now new momentum in the national effort to stop the disease. Vaccinations administered nationwide and role players now officially joining hands send a clear message: the national herd must be stabilized.

According to a statement from the BKS industry coordination council, the national rollout of the BKS vaccination campaign is currently in full swing.

“Although there are operational challenges and frustrations at grassroots level, there is a shared passion to solve this crisis.”

An important turning point in the national response was reached when the department of agriculture, the ministerial task team (MTT) and the BKS industry coordination council formally joined forces as the joint working group on BKS.

“The roll-out of BKS vaccination across the country is currently underway and, as it progresses, operational challenges are being reported. Despite these challenges and the frustration at the ground level, everyone involved in the response agrees that failure is not an option,” says the BKS Operational Coordinating Board.

Photo of a vet for illustration purposes only. (Photo: Jeff Pachoud / AFP).

By working together to plan and oversee the national response, the focus is now on improving coordination, delivery and effectiveness at the local level. The various industry bodies on the council will support the coordination by mobilizing the industry. More details are expected after the first formal meeting.

Meanwhile, there is a bright spot for farmers who are suffering huge losses. A new study investigating how the virus survives in carcasses at slaughterhouses shows promising early results. Currently, certain parts of a carcass must be destroyed and this leads to massive financial losses in the value chain.

“If the research is accepted after formal peer review, it could lead to changes in how it is managed and significantly reduce unnecessary losses. Based on the early findings, the department has already reduced the waiting period requirement to three months, pending the completion of the peer review process,” explains the council.

However, there is confusion about the mark (tagging) from vaccinated animals. However, the council has made it clear that farmers do not need to buy expensive RFID tags. Each animal must simply have a unique identification number that is clearly displayed and traceable.

Other important developments include:

• Indemnity Forms: The council is currently reviewing the legal basis of the indemnity forms and will provide feedback as soon as possible.
• KZN: Documents for the lifting of the disease control area (DMA) in KwaZulu-Natal are currently with the Minister of Agriculture for finalisation.
• Legislation: The minister of agriculture will carry out the final review of Article 10 on Thursday 5 March, which will make specific control actions legally possible.
• Vaccines: Legal aid was made available to SAHPRA to speed up the process for the supply and administration of vaccines through new standard operating procedures.

“Due to South Africa’s decentralized system of government, the BKS Industry Coordinating Council will liaise directly with provincial leadership through the recognized industry and organized agriculture offices in each province,” the statement said.