Botswana fears outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease

Botswanan authorities are fearful of an imminent outbreak of the deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the northeastern part of the southern African country.

This follows the moving of a substantial number of buffaloes from Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park to villages in the northeastern part of Botswana in search of water, an official said Tuesday.

“Buffaloes and other types of animals in Zimbabwe’s park are migrating in scores, as water bodies have dried up,” Thato Raphaka, the permanent secretary in Botswana’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism, told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

The buffaloes have the potential to spread FMD to Botswana’s cattle, sheep and goats, Kefentse Motshegwa, the director of Botswana’s Veterinary Services, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

According to Motshegwa, veterinarians are busy testing the cattle, sheep and goats in the area for FMD. Farmers in the area will be notified of the outcome of the testing in a month, he said.

Last year, Botswana culled at least 10,000 cattle in the northeastern part of Botswana bordering western parts of Zimbabwe following an outbreak of the disease.