Transfrontier park could increase disease risk
2002-03-14 15:59
Nelspruit - The dropping of international border fences to create the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou transfrontier park increases the risk of diseases entering South Africa, warns Candith Mashego, Mpumalanga MEC for agriculture, conservation and environment.
Presenting her department's R339.3 million budget to the provincial legislature in Nelspruit on Wednesday, she said diseases like tuberculosis, sleeping sickness from tsetse flies, East Coast fever and new strains of foot-and-mouth disease were only some of the challenges that would be faced.
"This requires us to be more vigilant when dealing with this matter," she said.
The park will create the largest wildlife conservancy in the world by incorporating game reserves in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
She said Mpumalanga had the capacity to handle such diseases, as was evident when the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Middelburg and Nkomazi were successfully contained last year.
The disease broke out at other centres in South Africa, costing the country about R800 million. Mpumalanga lost R17 million.
An anthrax outbreak in Matibidi near Lydenburg was also nipped in the bud when 5 000 animals were vaccinated and 14 people who ate infected meat were successfully treated.
She said bovine brucellosis was the most widespread zoonotic disease and that over 400 herds and a large number of dip tank areas are severely affected by contagious abortions.
The disease mainly affects cattle, causing lower milk yields, infertility and abortion of calves. It can be transmitted to human through unpasteurised milk.
A new imported vaccine was, however, bringing relief, said Mashego.
She said Mpumalanga was improving its resources for animal health monitoring and control of diseases to make sure outbreaks never took the province by surprise again.
"We urge all our farmers to cooperate with our veterinary service inspection and dipping programmes aimed at ensuring that animal diseases are kept under control," she said. - African Eye News Service