JOHANNESBURG, April 11 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is tackling 56 cases of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), involving farms and communal areas in various parts of the country, said a senior government official on Monday.

       The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza made the remarks while giving an update about the FMD outbreak in the country.

       She said the disease was detected in farms and communal areas in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng Provinces. The outbreaks were caused by illegal movements of animals out of the FMD controlled zones in Limpopo.

       "It is important that everyone commits and respects all imposed control measures and collectively find a sustainable solution. I call on all citizens of South Africa to stop the illegal movement of animals out of FMD affected areas. The damages caused by continued foot and mouth disease outbreaks have a severe negative impact on the economy of the country, as well as the individual animal owners," said Didiza.

       She urged farmers to report suspicions of FMD to state veterinary services.

       South Africa lost its World Organization for Animal Health-recognized FMD free zone status in 2019. Despite this fact, the permanent movement restrictions remain in place in the FMD protection zones in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and it is illegal to move cloven-hoofed animals and their products out of the FMD protection zone without permission.