'Farmers need not be alarmed' - Agriculture MEC

By Rhodé Marshall
26 February 2008

Western Cape MEC for Agriculture, Cobus Dowry says that farmers need not worry about Ovine Johne’s Disease (OJD), an infectious disease that affects sheep.

OJD, known as “sheep Aids”, is a chronic disease in sheep caused by a bacterium. It is contagious and found worldwide. Symptoms include persistent diarrhoea, weight loss and eventual death.

The disease is believed to be slowly spreading to hundreds of farms but the Western Cape Department of Agriculture says farmers in the province should remain calm.

“It is a problem for South Africa because the disease is hard to detect and can cause losses of up to 20 percent in badly affected flocks. An official count of sheep affected is not available yet,” says department spokesperson Alie van Jaarsveld.

van Jaarsveld says the Animal Disease Regulations states that animals with any infection should be isolated and slaughtered at a slaughterhouse or destroyed.

“Strict enforcement of the regulations will have a major negative impact on the sheep industry in this province. Workshops have been launched to formulate a policy to address the situation,” says van Jaarsveld.