Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions lifted in the Zambezi Region
The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) on Tuesday announced the lifting of restrictions following successful control and containment of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak which was detected in the Zambezi region in May 2021.
According to the intensive disease surveillance conducted by the DVS, the last confirmed FMD case was reported on 4 November 2021 in the Zambezi region, MAWLR Chief Veterinarian Officer Albertina Shilongo said in a statement.
“In line with Namibia’s FMD Contingency Plan, outbreak restrictions in the FMD Protection and Infected zones can be lifted three months after the last confirmed case. 4 February 2022, marked 3 months after the last confirmed FMD case in the region. All restrictions that were imposed as a result of the FMD outbreak in the Zambezi region are therefore lifted with immediate effect,” she added.
Meanwhile, Shilongo said to prevent future outbreaks, vaccination against FMD will continue in the region and farmers are urged to bring their cattle to the crush-pens when announcements are made by veterinary services.
