Zebaldt Ngaruka
Public panic has prompted government intervention as concurrent outbreaks of “foot and mouth” symptoms trigger confusion across Namibia.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has clarified that Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) currently affecting local livestock is completely unrelated to the wave of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) being reported in human populations and childcare crèches.
The ministry’s spokesperson Romeo Muyunda cautioned the public against spreading unverified information, clarifying that the two distinct viral conditions pose entirely separate threats to national health and the agricultural economy.
“The current FMD outbreak in livestock in Namibia is unrelated to HFMD in humans, and FMD does not cause HFMD in people,” he said.
He said FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and some wildlife species.
“It does not affect humans. Clinical signs include fever, loss of appetite, blisters or lesions in the mouth, on the tongue and lips, excessive salivation and difficulty eating, lesions around and between the hooves, often causing lameness, reduced milk production and significant production losses,” he explained.
The spokesperson added that FMD spreads rapidly through direct contact between animals, infected secretions, and contaminated equipment, vehicles, clothing, and footwear.
Muyunda explained that the disease poses a serious threat to Namibia’s livestock industry, farmers’ livelihoods, national animal health, and trade in livestock and livestock products.
Regarding HFMD, Muyunda said it spreads from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids, respiratory secretions, faeces and contaminated surfaces.
“It is not caused by FMD in livestock, and it is not the disease addressed by the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS),” he said, urging parents and guardians to follow the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ guidance on HFMD.
He said that the Agriculture Ministry remains committed to containing and controlling the current FMD outbreak through surveillance, laboratory investigation, livestock movement controls, biosecurity measures, and
tracing of potentially exposed animals, as provided for in the National FMD Contingency Plan and applicable legislation.
Muyunda also urged livestock owners, traders, transporters, and all other stakeholders to follow official veterinary public notices and movement restrictions.
“Report any suspected FMD cases immediately to the nearest district State Veterinary Office,” he said, urging the public to rely on verified information from official sources and not to spread unverified information or create unnecessary alarm by confusing the diseases.
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