Niel Terblanche
Namibia has lifted the restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and animal products in the Zambezi region.
The restrictions were imposed after a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak was detected in cattle in October 2022.
According to a representative of Namibia’s Directorate of Veterinary Services resorting under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, the last confirmed case was reported at the end of November 2022.
Namibia’s FMD prevention and contingency plan states that restrictions on an identified infected zone can be lifted if no new cases of the bovine disease are registered for a period of three months after the first case was detected.
“The beginning of March this year marked three months after the last confirmed FMD case in the Zambezi Region, therefore, all FMD restrictive measures that were imposed as a result of the outbreak are lifted with immediate effect,” the directorate said in a statement.
As a result of the outbreak in October 2022, veterinary officials of the ministry launched a mass vaccination campaign of cattle in the affected area and eventually achieved 92 percent coverage of animals that could possibly be infected.
As a result of the outbreak in October 2022, veterinary officials of the ministry launched a mass vaccination campaign of cattle in the affected area and eventually achieved 92 percent coverage of animals that could possibly be infected.
