The agriculture ministry has dissmised claims about a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak following confusion triggered by a media realease issued by Windhoek Gymnasium.
This was said in a media statement issued on Tuesday by Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform spokesperson Romeo Muyunda.
The ministry says the clarification follows confusion after Windhoek Gymnasium issued a notice about an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) at the school.
“The two diseases are often confused because of their similar names, but they are completely different conditions and should not be mistaken for one another,” the ministry says.
HFMD is a common viral illness that mainly affects young children and spreads through close contact, coughing, sneezing, or contaminated surfaces, the ministry says.
The symptoms include fever, mouth sores and a rash on the hands and feet.
The ministry says HFMD is a human disease and it is not linked to livestock or animal health.
FMD, however, affects animals. It spreads among cloven-hoofed livestock such as cattle, goats, sheep and pigs, the ministry says.
It says FMD can have serious economic consequences for the livestock sector and is not a human disease.
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