Steenhuisen says foot and mouth disease harmless to humans
Agriculture minister John Steenhuisen has reassured the public that the foot and mouth disease spreading in KwaZulu-Natal does not affect humans.
He says it is also unrelated to the virus impacting schools.
Speaking to the media, Steenhuisen confirmed that red meat remains safe to eat but stresses the urgency of controlling the outbreak.
He says the outbreak threatens South Africa’s export potential, particularly in Asian markets.
READ: HFMD: Officials hunting for patient zero
"The virus that you now seeing in schools’ hand, foot and mouth is a completely different virus. It a virus that affects mainly younger children, but it’s not linked to animals at all," says Steenhuisen.
"Meat is completely safe to eat, but what we want to do is to focus on the movements of these animals and vaccinations. That way we can bring foot and mouth under control because it affects our ability to export."
Find us on social media
Follow the ECR Newswatch WhatsApp channel here
We are also on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)
