OS20 Online 8 December Poster

1. 1EuFMD | Open Session special edition | #OS20se
David Lazarus
University of Pretoria, Faculty of Veterinary Science
Department of Production Animal Studies
Onderstepoort, South Africa
Goat movements within the foot-and-mouth
disease protection zone of South Africa

2. 2EuFMD | Open Session special edition | #OS20se
Introduction
 Goats are the most common livestock kept by
smallholder communal farmers in South Africa
 However, clinical signs of FMD in goats are
inapparent and mild
 Goats affected by FMD do not usually show
obvious sickness behaviors
 Thus, they can be “silent shedders” of the virus
 FMD is primarily transmitted through direct
contacts via inhalation
 Livestock movement is one of the most important
ways of spreading infectious disease between
holdings
 Movements of sub-clinically infected livestock can
pose a threat to animals in FMD-free parts of the
country

3. 3EuFMD | Open Session special edition | #OS20se
Materials and methods
 Cross-sectional survey using semi-structured questionnaire
 Focus group discussion employing participatory mapping
 Information on animal movements, origin and destinations of animal movements were collected
 Origin and destination were described as “nodes” and connected movements described as “ties”
 GPS coordinates of the locations were recorded
 Data were analysed descriptively and using social network analysis tools to identify FMD high-risk areas
 Information from this study will be used to improve disease surveillance and strategic vaccination
programme within the FMD protection zone of South Africa

4. 4EuFMD | Open Session special edition | #OS20se
Results and Discussion
 Data were collected from 116 questionnaires and
13 focus group discussions
 Overall, 22% (95%CI: 16-31) of respondents moved
new animals into their holdings during the previous 12
months
 56% (95%CI: 47-65) of respondents moved animals
out of their holdings during the previous 12 months
 134 participants attended the focus group discussions
 More movement out of holdings among respondents
 Four locations in the (currently suspended) FMD-free
zone had links with goat movements from the area
 60% (95%CI: 51-69) of respondents were unaware of
the need to obtain official veterinary movement permits
 Goats are moved without movement permits to the
FMD-free zone of the country

5. eufmdvirtual.com
8, 10, 15, 17 December 2020
EuFMD / Open Session