Question NW1231 to the Minister of Agriculture
23 October 2024 - NW1231
Smit, Mr CF to ask the Minister of Agriculture
(1) What total number of (a) diagnostic tests were conducted on the African Buffalo in each district in the (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24 financial years, (b) the specified tests came back positive for (i) foot-and mouth-disease, (ii) Corridor disease, (iii) Bovine tuberculosis and (iv) Bovine brucellosis in each specified financial year; (2) what measures were put in place to ensure that the specified diseases did not spread from infected buffaloes to other susceptible animals, including specific infection-free buffaloes in Limpopo in the specified period?
Reply:
(1)(a) All buffalo are tested for the specified diseases prior to movement (buffalo test package). The number of Corridor tests should therefore be an accurate reflection of the number of buffalo movements. More tests are performed for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis as part of disease control actions.
(i),(ii),(ii) The number of tests performed for FMD on samples collected from buffalo were provided per province by Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (OVR), Transboundary Animal Diseases Laboratory (TAD). Figures are included in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Numbers of FMD diagnostic tests performed on buffalo samples
Total number of tests done on African Buffalo: Foot and Mouth Disease |
||||||
(a)(i) |
(b)(i) |
(a)(ii) |
(b)(i) |
(a)(iii) |
(b)(i) |
|
Province |
2021-22 |
Positive results |
2022-23 |
Positive results |
2023-24 |
Positive results |
Eastern Cape |
1983 |
0 |
1482 |
0 |
1028 |
0 |
Free State |
1848 |
0 |
1638 |
0 |
1164 |
0 |
Gauteng |
150 |
0 |
420 |
0 |
83 |
0 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
270 |
0 |
843 |
164 |
806 |
24 |
Limpopo |
6879 |
0 |
6513 |
0 |
6143 |
0 |
Mpumalanga |
1650 |
0 |
897 |
0 |
674 |
0 |
Northern Cape |
786 |
0 |
510 |
0 |
397 |
0 |
North West |
1482 |
0 |
1503 |
0 |
1957 |
4 |
Western Cape |
402 |
0 |
456 |
0 |
480 |
0 |
(1)(b)(ii) The number of tests performed for Corridor disease on samples collected from buffalo were provided per province by the (OVR), Epidemiology Parasite and Vectors Disease Diagnostics Laboratory. Figures are included in Table 2 below:
Table 2: Numbers of Corridor diagnostic tests performed on buffalo samples.
Total number of tests done on African Buffalo: Corridor Disease |
||||||
(a)(i) |
(b)(ii) |
(a)(ii) |
(b)(ii) |
(a)(iii) |
(b)(ii) |
|
Provinces |
2021-22 |
Positive results |
2022-23 |
Positive results |
2023-24 |
Positive results |
Eastern Cape |
476 |
0 |
441 |
0 |
286 |
0 |
Free State |
759 |
0 |
431 |
0 |
371 |
0 |
Gauteng |
108 |
0 |
307 |
0 |
260 |
0 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
80 |
1 |
13 |
0 |
84 |
2 |
Limpopo |
2367 |
0 |
1917 |
0 |
1457 |
4 |
Mpumalanga |
211 |
1 |
262 |
0 |
116 |
4 |
Northern Cape |
262 |
0 |
381 |
0 |
99 |
0 |
North West |
569 |
0 |
395 |
0 |
474 |
0 |
Western Cape |
129 |
0 |
104 |
0 |
139 |
0 |
(b)(iii) The number of tests performed for Bovine Tuberculosis on blood samples collected from buffalo were provided per province by the OVR Laboratory, Tuberculosis Laboratory. Figures are indicated in Table 3 below. The bulk of Tuberculosis (TB) tests are performed on farms by measuring the skin fold in the neck of each buffalo whereafter tuberculin is injected intradermally into the skin fold. The skinfold is measured after 3 days, and the measurement is used to determine the TB status. The number of TB skin tests performed in the field equals the number of samples that are tested as part of the buffalo test packages performed for TB, Corridor and Brucellosis.
Blood samples are occasionally collected for Tuberculosis Gamma Interferon tests to verify the field diagnosis. The numbers are included in Table 3 below:
Table 3: Numbers of serological Bovine tuberculosis diagnostic tests performed on buffalo samples.
Total number of tests done on African Buffalo: Bovine Tuberculosis |
||||||
(a)(i) |
(b)(iii) |
(a)(ii) |
(b)(iii) |
(a)(iii) |
(b)(iii) |
|
Provinces |
2021-22 |
Positive results |
2022-23 |
Positive results |
2023-24 |
Positive results |
Eastern Cape |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Free State |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Gauteng |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
3 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Limpopo |
14 |
1 |
10 |
0 |
15 |
0 |
Mpumalanga |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Northern Cape |
40 |
1 |
23 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
North West |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
0 |
Western Cape |
1 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
(b)(iv) The number of tests performed for Bovine Brucellosis on samples collected from buffalo were provided per province by the OVR Laboratory (Bacteriology and Zoonotic Diseases Laboratory). Figures are included in Table 4 below:
Table 4: Numbers of Bovine Brucellosis diagnostic tests performed on buffalo samples.
Total number of tests done on African Buffalo: Bovine Brucellosis |
||||||
(a)(i) |
(b)(iv) |
(a)(ii) |
(b)(iv) |
(a)(iii) |
(b)(iv) |
|
Provinces |
2021-22 |
Positive results |
2022-23 |
Positive results |
2023-24 |
Positive results |
Eastern Cape |
1506 |
2 |
1299 |
0 |
1233 |
0 |
Free State |
1773 |
36 |
945 |
1 |
1848 |
0 |
Gauteng |
264 |
0 |
330 |
0 |
1401 |
0 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
225 |
0 |
153 |
0 |
399 |
0 |
Limpopo |
7605 |
13 |
5742 |
0 |
6012 |
0 |
Mpumalanga |
804 |
16 |
858 |
0 |
537 |
0 |
Northern Cape |
849 |
0 |
465 |
0 |
459 |
0 |
North West |
2094 |
2 |
2217 |
1 |
1749 |
0 |
Western Cape |
495 |
0 |
636 |
0 |
345 |
0 |
(2) Land registered for keeping buffalo is fenced off with a game-proof fence at least 1.8 meters high in areas outside the FMD and Corridor disease-controlled areas of the country in accordance with the requirements of the provincial nature conservation authority. In the case of land which is situated within a controlled area, the fencing is electrified to the satisfaction of the responsible state veterinarian.
All incidences of buffalo testing positive for FMD, Corridor Disease, Bovine Brucellosis or Bovine Tuberculosis must be reported to the National Director: Animal Health immediately.
As soon as the initial suspect or positive test results were received for any of the four diseases, the whole land was put under full quarantine, therefore, prohibiting any further movement of buffalo or any other susceptible species onto, off or through the land registered for the keeping of buffalo.
Full backward and forward tracing was conducted for all susceptible species to determine the possible origin of the infection and the most likely date of the first introduction of the infection.
There are specific control and eradication measures for FMD, Corridor Disease, Bovine Brucellosis, and Bovine Tuberculosis. These measures were instituted by the local state veterinarian in consultation with the landowner/buffalo owner/farm manager and private veterinarian.