Foot & Mouth Disease Outbreak: NAQS Issues Red Alert To Contain Spread
The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, NAQS, yesterday, issued a red alert over outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, FMD, in Vhembe and Capricorn Districts in Limpopo of South Africa.
The alert was contained in a statement signed by Head, Media Communications and Strategies, Dr Gozie Nwodo, which explained that cloven-hoof animals affected by the FMD include sheep, goat, pig, cattle and other bovids.
The statement also advised the general public to report any case related to the FMD with symptoms which include high fever which may last between two and six days; blisters inside the mouth which may lead to excessive secretion of stringy and foamy saliva and to drooling; and blisters on the feet which may eventually rupture and cripple the animal to the quarantine post in their locality or the agriculture department in their local government council. Alternatively, they may reach the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service directly via email: [email protected] orcall +234 809 133 3385, +234 807 777 8943.
The statement reads in part, “The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) wishes to inform the general public of the confirmed outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Vhembe and Capricorn Districts in Limpopo, South Africa.
“Following this incidence, officers of the NAQS at all ports of entry are on the lookout for live cloven-hoofed animals and associated raw products that may be imported from South Africa and contiguous countries.
“They are on high alert to minimize the risk of the entry of infected animals or contaminated items of animal origin from the Southern Africa axis. They are under instruction to quarantine any animal that could reasonably be deemed to be a suspect carrier.
“Food and mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects sheep, goat, pig, cattle and other bovids. The clinical symptoms of the disease are high fever which may last between two and six days; blisters inside the mouth which may lead to excessive secretion of stringy and foamy saliva and to drooling; and blisters on the feet which may eventually rupture and cripple the animal.
“FMD takes a huge economic toll on animal farming. Because it is highly infectious, the disease can devastate herds and cause serious losses to livestock farmers. It can spread by infected animals through contaminated feed, farming equipment, vehicles and wild and domesticated predators.”
The NAQS is agency of government responsible for preventing the entry, establishment and spread of animal and zoonotic diseases as well as pests of plants and fisheries and their products.
