Staff Reporter
2 December 2008
THE Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has announced the temporary suspension of all livestock movement in some communal areas of the Omaheke Region due to a foot-and-mouth disease scare.
The affected areas are Eiseb, Gam, Otjombinde, Otjinene, Epukiro, Otjituo, Okakarara, Okamatapti and Okondjatu.
The announcement was made after buffalo tracks were spotted entering Namibia from Botswana in the Gam area.
"Officials from Nature Conservation, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the Namibian Police are currently trying to track this animal, whilst livestock in the area have been placed under surveillance," the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) said on Friday.
So far no livestock are showing any signs of the disease.
The Gam area is part of a surveillance zone and is separated from the free zones by fences maintained by the DVS.
The inclusion of surveillance areas outside Gam is done simply as a precautionary measure and to facilitate the search for the buffalo.
"The latest information received indicates that the buffalo is confined to a stretch between Gam Post 1 and Peke-Peke, close to the Namibia-Botswana border.
Studies of the tracks indicate that the buffalo has moved up and down along the border fence, possibly in an attempt to cross back into Botswana," the NAU stated in its weekly newsletter.
The restriction will be lifted once the buffalo is found.
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