The South African government said on Tuesday that the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) broke out near the Kruger National Park in the country's northeastern Limpopo province.

The Agriculture Department said that the disease outbreak was inside a buffer zone around the tourist attraction set up to prevent the virus spreading from the park.

"An outbreak of FMD was confirmed in a head of cattle next to the Punda Maria Gate of the Kruger National Park," the department said in a statement.

The site is in the far northeast of the country near the point where the borders of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe converge.

The highly contagious virus was found in late July and has since been confirmed by a state laboratory. Among a herd of 35 cattle, 11 were infected. It is one of the diseases most dreaded by livestock owners and can affect pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, but does not influence human beings.

"The authorities expect that the situation can be brought under control rapidly without undue effects on the agricultural industry as a whole," the department added.

Control measures in the area have been intensified and no cloven-hoof animals or their products may leave the area.

"The detection of positive cases in the buffer zone does not affect the status of South Africa's FMD free zone without vaccination, as recognized by the International Office of Epizootics, and thus does not affect the export status of the country," the department added.

Source: Xinhua