Namibia confirms FMD in second region; emergency vaccination begins in Zambezi

Namibia has detected foot-and-mouth disease in the Zambezi Region, making it the second region affected after the earlier outbreak in the southern //Kharas Region.

The new detection occurred at Kalala Island in Kabe Constituency, where veterinary officials observed 20 cattle with clinical signs on October 6. All 12 samples collected from the animals tested positive for FMD virus on October 7.

Emergency vaccination has started in the affected area, while intensive surveillance is under way to establish the full extent of the outbreak.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has suspended the movement of all cloven-hoofed animals and their raw products throughout Zambezi. Livestock auctions, other animal-gathering events, slaughter at local abattoirs, and informal-market sales have also been halted.

The Directorate of Veterinary Services has activated the national FMD contingency plan and established roadblocks to enforce movement restrictions. Slaughter at export abattoirs may continue under commodity-based trade for quarantined cattle with satisfactory traceability.

Namibia is also building a veterinary cordon fence along farms bordering the Orange River, expected to be completed within four months. Another containment-zone fence is expected to begin construction during the week of October 12.

Vaccination teams are preparing to deploy to the Karasburg outbreak epicentre, with vaccination expected to begin once schedules are agreed by stakeholders.