STAFF WRITER
Acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Charles Mubita has confirmed cases of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the //Kharas Region, with 17 samples testing positive in the Karasburg State Veterinary District.
Mubita made the announcement today during a press conference at State House on the FMD outbreak.
“Fellow Namibians, our Country detected clinical cases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the //Kharas Region on 22 September 2026,” Mubita said.
He said the positive cases were confirmed through laboratory tests conducted on 11 samples collected from a herd of 65 cattle on the infected farm.
“A total of 10 out of 11 of those samples tested positive for FMD virus,” he said.
Following the detection, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Land Reform issued a notification on 23 September under the Animal Health Act 1 of 2011.
Mubita said the notification activated the FMD Contingency Plan and imposed restrictions on the movement of all cloven-hooved animals and their raw products across the country.
“The restrictions were activated to allow time for the Ministry to assess the extent of the spread of the disease and to take immediate measures to curb its spread,” he said.
According to Mubita, FMD is a notifiable and state-controlled disease under the Animal Health Act 1 of 2011 and has the potential to cause significant economic consequences for the livestock sector.
“Furthermore, this disease has the capability of causing catastrophic economic consequences, which have the potential to disrupt the entire value chain of the Livestock sector,” he said.
Traceability activities started immediately after the infected farm was confirmed positive for FMD on 23 September.
Mubita said four cattle had moved from the infected farm in the Karasburg District to the Otjozondjupa Region. Veterinary officials conducted a clinical examination and collected 30 samples on 24 September.
The samples included the four cattle from the infected farm and an additional 26 cattle tested as a precaution. All 30 samples tested negative.
The 65 cattle on the infected farm and animals on surrounding farms remain under strict monitoring.
The Ministry also collected 199 samples during a routine surveillance exercise conducted from 22 to 25 September.
Of the samples collected, 117 were from Karasburg, one from Windhoek, 50 from Gobabis, 30 from Otjiwarongo and one from Ondangwa.
“Out of 199 samples, 17 tested positive (all from Karasburg State Veterinary District),” Mubita said.
“So far, all positive cases remain confined to the Karasburg State Veterinary District.”
The Ministry has mobilised veterinary officials from various offices across the country, including officials from the private and public sectors, to intensify traceability, clinical examinations and the collection of blood samples.
Mubita said the exercise would help the Ministry determine how, where and when the restrictions imposed on 23 September could gradually be eased.
“An announcement is envisaged to be made as soon as the above results are made available,” he said.
The Ministry has also established an FMD Support Fund with the support of the industry.
“We are therefore appealing to the general public, public/private sector and the development partners to contribute to the FMD Support Fund as this will help Government to intensify measures necessary to deal effectively with the outbreak of the FMD,” Mubita said.
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