There is an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth disease in Nimule and parts of the former Unity State, the Food and Agriculture Organization has announced.

The UN agency is yet to reveal the cases of the animal disease.

Foot-and-Mouth disease is a severe contagious trans-boundary animal disease that causes high fever and blisters inside the mouth and on the feet.

It may cause lameness if it ruptures.

FAO Country representative Serge Tissot says in response, the UN agency and the Ministry of Livestock have launched a two year-project to control spread of the disease.

The initiative will involve surveillance, data collection and analysis of foot and mouth outbreak in rural and border areas.

FAO also donated laboratory equipment worth $19,000 to help the National Ministry of Livestock set up a laboratory for testing samples from suspected foot and mouth disease cases.

Mr. Tissot spoke Tuesday during the launch of the project, dubbed Foot-and-Mouth Disease Progressive Control Pathway.

“We are still planning to vaccinate and treat 6 million animals this year,” he said.

He said the agency has trained 1000 community health workers this year.

Livestock population estimate in South Sudan is 11, 816, 672 cattle; 13, 974, 135 goats and 12, 611, 522 sheep, according to FAO estimates.

For his part, the Minister of Livestock, James Jangara, said policies to control animal disease outbreaks will be set soon.

“As a government and as a ministry we are going to set out those policies that we think can not only guarantee us in addressing the animal health but also secure us international market,” Mr Jangara stated.

FAO says it will also create awareness on foot and mouth disease to areas that have been affected.