Nearly 2,600 animals vaccinated in CT foot-and-mouth disease drive

The City of Cape Town said that nearly 2,600 animals had been vaccinated for foot-and-mouth disease across the metro.

The Western Cape agriculture department started the rollout of vaccines to areas including Mfuleni, Delft, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Philippi East, Dunoon, Wallacedene, and Macassar earlier this month.

The city said its response was being coordinated by the Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) following the declaration of a national disaster last month.

City mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said law enforcement agencies were escorting veterinary teams to administer vaccines to small-scale and informal farmers across Cape Town.

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Smith said city officials were working closely with counterparts in the Swartland and the Western Cape provincial government to ensure a coordinated response.

"The city will continue to support efforts to contain the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the metropole and surrounds. The escorts of officials responsible for vaccinations means they can focus on the task at hand," said Smith.

City staffers had also been trained to inspect animals in transit and identify possible signs of infection at checkpoints within the city’s boundaries.