The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has raised alarm bells following the discovery of an infectious disease outbreak at a feedlot housing livestock being loaded onto the Al Mawashi-owned Al Messilah this week.
The bulk livestock carrier docked in East London on Tuesday, 2 April, to load approximately 60 000 sheep, 1 500 cattle and 200 goats to be exported to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Also read: NSPCA warns of another ‘ship of death’ en route to Kuwait
The NSPCA, who had been waiting for the vessel’s arrival, sent an inspector and veterinarian to the feedlot and on board the vessel as soon as it docked and raised major concerns about the animals’ welfare on the three-week journey.
‘The NSPCA has, through veterinary laboratory testing and visual examination, confirmed the presence of contagious ecthyma, an infectious dermatitis of sheep and goats which is also contagious to humans in the Al Mawashi feedlot contained in the herd bound for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,’ Times Live quoted the organisation as saying.
‘After NSPCA national inspectors observed lesions on the lips of numerous sheep in the feedlot which raised suspicions of contagious ecthyma [also known as ‘orf’, ‘vuilbek’ or by its old English name ‘scabby mouth’], the NSPCA resorted to laboratory testing which has confirmed the animals bound for the Al Messilah are exposed to the virus.’
During the course of the disease, which lasts up to four weeks, affected animals can go off feed, lose condition and may develop serious secondary infections at the lesion sites.
The publication added that previous shipments from Australia where the disease was found were rejected by the Middle East, according to the NSPCA.
‘Should this shipment be rejected by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the South African government has confirmed to the NSPCA that South Africa will not be able to accept the returning animals. The NSPCA is therefore concerned about the risk that these animals will be left stranded at sea.’
As per SmileFM, the animal organisation’s Jacques Peacock says there is no way of knowing how many animals may be infected – because they all appear healthy for now.
‘We can, however, confirm that from the 59 700 animals that Al Mawashi wanted to load on the vessel, only approximately 51 482 will be loaded. The NSPCA diligently screened all animals and removed any compromised animals,’ said Peacock.
He added that several animals that were pregnant or not well enough to travel long distances were also removed.
Given that the infectious disease is a zoonotic disease, it also poses a threat to human health that could result in painful sores in those who come into contact with the animals.
‘We remain steadfast in our stance that no country has the capacity or capability to ensure or guarantee animal welfare on livestock vessels,’ Times Live reported the NSPCA as saying.
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Picture: Agri Eastern Cape / Facebook