By Levy Sara Masiteng
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has reassured South Africans that the spread of Monkeypox, known as Mpox and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is under control and major progress has been made in tackling the outbreak.
Ntshavheni briefed the media on Thursday regarding the outcomes of the recent Cabinet meeting and said that the outbreak of Mpox which has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) is under control.
The first case of Mpox was reported on 9 May and only 24 positive cases have been recorded to date including three deaths, 19 recoveries and two active cases undergoing home isolation” the Minister said.
However, the Minister encourages members of the public to continue playing their role by supporting the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of Mpox with heightened personal hygiene to prevent further transmission.
On foot-and-mouth disease, Ntshavheni said major progress has been made in tackling the FMD in the Kouga and KouKamma local municipalities in the Eastern Cape. And the last clinical case was reported in mid-July, showing the effectiveness of the prevention methods conducted, she said.
Earlier this year Gerhard Schutte, former Chairperson of the Red Meat Producers Organisation said that particular strain of FMD still needs to be determined, but it was not deadly during the outbreak in Eastern Cape.
“Over the last four years, I haven’t heard of a single death from FMD in South Africa. Although there are deadly strains, South Africa doesn’t seem to have them,” said Schutte.
Ntshavheni said that the Cabinet also urges farmers to take note of animal movements especially in affected regions and a transport permit from the local state veterinary office will be needed.
Cattle are required to be vaccinated especially those who are at high risk due to their proximity to infected areas. “In total, over 92 000 cattle and nearby 600 sheep across 67 farms have been vaccinated”, she said.
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