Latest news with #FMD
Agriland
a day ago
- Health
- Agriland
DAERA: Bluetongue disease ‘will arrive at some stage'
Bluetongue disease will, inevitably, reach the island of Ireland. And this may well happen sooner rather than later. This is the strongly held view of Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) deputy chief veterinary officer, Dr. David Kyle. He made the comments at the recent Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) annual conference. Dr. Kyle said: 'The disease carrying midges will arrive at some stage: we can't control the weather. 'DAERA is currently monitoring midge and virus populations, specifically in Irish Sea coastal areas.' The latest figures from Great Britain (GB) confirm the east/west march of the virus. However, to date, it has not reached those regions with high sheep populations. Once bluetongue reaches Irish shores, 20km radius incursion zones will be established in an attempt to get to grips with the disease, according to the DAERA deputy chief veterinary officer. Dr, Kyle referenced the future use of vaccines as a way farmers can get to grips with the problem within their own businesses. Chatting at the NIIAS conference, (l to r) Ian Stevenson, Dairy Council for Northern Ireland; and Dick Blakiston Houston, BlakistonHouston Estates According to the DAERA representative, a region's animal health status will have a direct bearing on its ability to export food products. In addition, disease has a direct bearing on animal performance and productivity. Illegal animal and food importations heighten the risk of new disease threats, and Dr. Kyle confirmed that DAERA has strengthened its presence at all of Northern Ireland's ports. He referred to the attempts that have been made by some people to smuggle live sheep into Northern Ireland as 'absolute folly'. The World Organisation for Animal Health lists 118 notifiable diseases. All of these are linked to international food trading conditions. Dr. Kyle said: 'Food exports are worth in excess of £6 billion to Northern Ireland's economy. So, protecting the future of our agri-food sectors is a key priority. 'And the same principle holds in the Republic of Ireland.' The DAERA representative referenced the triple threat of bluetongue, foot and mouth disease (FMD), and highly pathogenic avian influenza – or bird flu – as the key concerns for Ireland's agri-food sectors at the present time. While Dr. Kyle highlighted the tremendous efforts made by the poultry sector in keeping avian influenza at bay over recent times, he struck a cautionary note where FMD is concerned. This year has seen outbreaks of the disease confirmed in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia with two different lineages of the virus identified in these cases. However, when it comes to attributing the initial causes of the disease outbreaks, bio-terrorism has been one of the options followed up.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Soaring meat prices, rugby enthusiasts might just have to opt for a cheaper alternative
Soaring meat prices, rugby enthusiasts might just have to opt for a cheaper alternative Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) remains a significant challenge to South Africa's livestock industry, with recent outbreaks causing disruptions to trade and production. The highly contagious viral disease affects cattle, swine, sheep, and other cloven-hoofed animals, leading to severe economic consequences. You now have to brace yourself for higher meat prices and tighten the belt when it comes to a braai. 'The demand for beef is at an all-time high, but the supply challenges are immense. Prices have skyrocketed, and we still need to pay our employees. Consumers are buying less because of the cost, yet we have to raise prices to cover rent and wages. This situation has had a major impact on the local meat business,' said Rocky Moolman, manager at Meat & Fish. 'The rising cost of meat is impacting everyone, from suppliers to consumers. Foot-and-mouth disease has created serious challenges, and prices continue to soar,' said Charles Kruger, manager at Meat World. An Aphthovirus causes FMD and spreads rapidly through direct contact with infected animals, contaminated feed, and airborne transmission. Infected cattle develop painful blisters on their mouths and hooves, making it difficult for them to eat or move. While the disease is rarely fatal, it significantly weakens livestock, reducing productivity and market value. Outbreaks of this disease can lead to quarantine measures, restricting the movement of livestock and disrupting breeding cycles. FMD – know the facts: Is it dangerous for human consumption? No, meat and dairy products from infected livestock are considered safe to eat, as the virus does not affect humans. Are the animals vaccinated against FMD? In South Africa, animals that have been vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease face strict movement and trade restrictions. According to recent reports, vaccinated animals are often marked with an F-brand on their necks, indicating they have received the vaccine. Does the vaccination prevent it from coming back? The FMD vaccine does not eliminate the virus completely, but it reduces transmission. How does FMD impact meat and dairy production? The impact on meat production: Farmers lose money when they are unable to sell or transport cattle due to restrictions on livestock transportation. International markets impose export restrictions, which lowers demand for beef from South Africa. Costs are raised by feedlot disruptions because livestock must be held longer before being killed. The impact on dairy production: As sick cows experience blistering and eating difficulties, milk production decreases. Up to 80% of dairy cows with severe mastitis see a decrease in milk quality. Source: Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development. Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Israel's cache of nuclear weapons and the grass isn't greener in the US, say our letter writers
A fire blazes in the oil depots of Shahran, northwest of Tehran, on June 15 after further attacks from Israel. Trump goes one step further I MADE a mistake in one of my previous letter. I left out an important point about Trump. As I have said before, Jim Reeves endeared himself to the Afrikaner community. He toured South Africa twice, made a film here and sang in Afrikaans. Decades later the Afrikaners got help from another American. This time it was a big one, the president himself. President Donald Trump went one step further. Despite any concrete evidence, he was convinced that white Afrikaners were being persecuted by the Black majority government and decided to help them. He sent two planes to South Africa to bring the poor, suffering Afrikaners to the US to live in peace and prosperity. But the world knows Trump, that he has no qualms about using deceitful means to achieve his ends. | T Markandan Kloof The grass isn't so green over there It appears that some very delusional Afrikaner families who arrived in the US under a refugee programme meant for 'persecuted individuals' were under the impression that they would be provided with comprehensive assistance including housing, jobs and healthcare. Instead – especially in the case of a family of four who found themselves stranded in a hotel in Montana – they are struggling for basic necessities, such as food and communication. | Eric Palm Gympie, Australia Farmers concerned following raids As part of KwaZulu-Natal's Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA has received many serious concerns from northern KZN farmers about the possible Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) contamination of their farms. This, as a result of recent Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) inspections. While the rule of law must be upheld and the employment of undocumented workers cannot be condoned, the DEL must exercise far greater caution when entering farms, particularly during the current FMD crisis. Reports suggest that, in many instances, officials are arriving unannounced, fail to follow basic biosecurity protocols, such as vehicle and footwear sanitisation, and potentially endangering the fragile progress made in containing FMD outbreaks. The DA calls on the DEL to immediately review and revise its operational procedures within agricultural areas to align with biosecurity standards. Intergovernmental co-ordination is critical, and any government activity on farms must be informed by the current agricultural risks, including FMD. The livelihoods of thousands of farmworkers and producers are already under pressure due to market access restrictions linked to the FMD crisis. The potentially reckless actions of one government department should not further compromise the work being done by the agricultural sector and veterinary services to protect our economy and food security. | Sakhile Mngadi, MPL Pietermaritzburg The pot is calling the kettle black? ON June 13, Israel executed an unprecedented military strike deep inside Iranian territory, penetrating multiple layers of advanced air defences (including Russian-made S-300 systems and domestic missile shields). Using stealth drones and standoff missiles allegedly smuggled into Iran, Israel struck critical nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan and military installations, some buried under meters of concrete. The attack inflicted significant damage on Iran's most fortified sovereign assets and concluded without any Israeli casualties, leaving Iran's deterrence posture exposed and regional tensions at a historical cliff. The attack of Iran by Israel is analogous to your neighbour who, suspecting you've secretly built weapons in your fortified basement, scales your 20-foot electrified fence, disables your motion sensors and guard dogs, slips past armed patrols, bypasses steel vault doors, and detonates explosives in your basement undetected. All while your family is fast asleep. Then, your neighbour vanishes without a trace, revealing catastrophic failures in your security system and leaving your household in a state of shock and vulnerability. What will your view be of such a neighbour? What should not be overlooked is that Israel attacked Iran, a sovereign nation, since it suspected Iran was close to acquiring a nuclear bomb. This is despite Iran, as a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), currently being the most inspected country by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), second in history only to Iraq. However, Israel refused to sign the NPT and does not allow any inspection by the IAEA at its suspected military sites, such as the Dimona reactor in the Negev Desert, widely believed to produce plutonium for weapons. It should be remembered that in 1981, Israel invaded Iraq, another sovereign country, and destroyed its incomplete Osirik Nuclear Reactor. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Federation of American Scientists, Israel has a stockpile of 75-130 nuclear warheads. Although Israel comprises a measly 0.125% of the global population, yet the highest number of UN Security Council resolutions have been issued to Israel for a myriad of transgressions. Is it fair that a country that has nuclear warheads and refused to be inspected by the IAEA takes it upon itself to act as police, judge, and executioner in the case of Iran? You be the judge. | Adiel Ismail Mount View DAILY NEWS
The Herald
2 days ago
- Health
- The Herald
Foot and mouth disease outbreak in North West
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been reported in the JB Marks municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the North West, the provincial department of agriculture and rural development said on Tuesday. In the first incident, the department was alerted by a private veterinarian who had visited a farm and saw suspicious signs. The state veterinarian collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute to test for the disease. Another incident was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng. The clinical signs of the affected animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection but were detected on the slaughter line during the meat inspection process, the department said. Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory and the results confirmed both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus. The unslaughtered animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit. 'Both farms linked to the outbreak have been put under quarantine, prohibiting the movement of animals and animal products,' the department said. The department has also identified all the farms that are linked to the Gauteng outbreak and those farms were being sampled for testing. All these farms have been put under precautionary quarantine until the test results are back. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Foot and mouth disease outbreak in North West
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been reported in the JB Marks municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district in the North West, the provincial department of agriculture and rural development said on Tuesday. In the first incident, the department was alerted by a private veterinarian who had visited a farm and saw suspicious signs. The state veterinarian collected samples, which were sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute to test for the disease. Another incident was detected at an abattoir in Madibeng. The clinical signs of the affected animals were missed at ante-mortem inspection but were detected on the slaughter line during the meat inspection process, the department said. Tissue samples were sent to the laboratory and the results confirmed both SAT 2 and SAT 3 types of the virus. The unslaughtered animals were escorted back to the farm of origin, a feedlot in Ventersdorp, through a Red Cross permit. 'Both farms linked to the outbreak have been put under quarantine, prohibiting the movement of animals and animal products,' the department said. The department has also identified all the farms that are linked to the Gauteng outbreak and those farms were being sampled for testing. All these farms have been put under precautionary quarantine until the test results are back.
