The Malawian government has banned the movement and slaughter of all cloven-hoofed animals following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Lilongwe local government area.
In a statement released on September 4, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Gray Phiri said 217 FMD cases have been confirmed in five districts around the capital Lilongwe.
“Ongoing preliminary investigations done by the ministry have established a total number of 217 clinical FMD cases. The affected areas have an estimated 45 000 cattle, which are at risk of contracting the disease,” Phiri said.
So far, there have been no human cases of FMD, a highly contagious bovine disease that affects cattle, goats, sheep, pigs as well as buffaloes among other cloven-hoofed game species.