CAPE TOWN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Thursday announced a ban on imports of live animals from Lesotho following an anthrax outbreak in the neighboring kingdom.
The ban also targets products of animals susceptible to anthrax, including wool, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest (DAFF) said.
This came after the Veterinary Authority of Lesotho reported three anthrax outbreaks to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The first outbreak started on May 12 this year and a total of 24 cattle were reported to have died of anthrax.
The OIE is in contact with the Veterinary Authority of Lesotho to ensure safe trade while the anthrax outbreaks are ongoing, according to the DAFF.
The DAFF urged livestock owners to vaccinate their livestock against anthrax once every 12 months with a registered vaccine and report any sudden deaths of livestock with blood oozing from carcass openings to their responsible veterinarians or animal health technicians for investigation.
Customers should only purchase livestock that look healthy from a trustworthy source and make sure that the meat they buy originates from an abattoir that is legally registered, the DAFF said.
Anthrax is a serious infectious disease of humans and warm-blooded animals and is caused by the bacterium bacillus anthracis. Animals become infected by eating or licking material that is contaminated with spores or breathing in the spores.
Humans most commonly contract the disease through contact with anthrax infected animals or animal products such as meat.
