Malawi Hit By Foot And Mouth Disease Outbreak

Malawi’s Secretary for Agriculture and Food Security, Andrew Daudi, on Monday warned that there was an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the country’s two southern districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje on the border with Mozambiaque.

The animal disease is a highly contagious viral disease which affects all cloven hoofed animals, including cattle, goats, sheep and pigs and other wildlife ruminants.

He told APA during an interview that the disease has serious social and economic implications for a country like Malawi if not controlled and managed timely.

“We are doing everything possible to manage and control the outbreak by putting up measures in order to contain the disease,” he said.

He said some of the measures put in place included temporary suspension of all live livestock markets, banning all livestock slaughtering, intensification of public awareness in its early detection, prevention and control of the disease, among others.

He therefore urged the feedlot owners to stop the restocking of their units within the outbreak period.