Johannesburg - A feedlot in Gauteng has been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure while investigations continue, following revelations that animals have been moved from Vryheid in KwaZulu-Natal to a feedlot in Gauteng.
The investigation was conducted by a team of experts from the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in KwaZulu-Natal.
Samples were also collected from the feedlot and came back positive on serology, but negative on non-structural proteins and polymerase chain reaction - which means that the fragments of the virus cannot be found.
This could be interpreted as an old infection with no virus circulating, the department said.
Vryheid remains in the protection zone - an area that prevents diseased animals from coming into contact with healthy ones - in accordance with the department's declaration.
Samples collected in this area have tested negative for foot-and-mouth disease. The department was also informed that there were two animals with suspicious origins, which may have come from the infected area.
The department - together with Gauteng's veterinary authorities - has met with the affected feedlot management and put a control strategy in place to ensure that the rest of the animal population in the country is protected.