SA procures 900 000 doses of vaccine to fight FMD

The South African government has procured 900,000 doses of vaccine to fight foot and mouth disease.

 This is revealed in the statement on critical interventions and measures to turn the tide against persistent Foot and mouth disease outbreaks in provinces and the status of Foot and mouth disease in the country by the Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen (MP).

He said the Foot and mouth disease (FMD) situation in South Africa remains a matter of great concern, with far-reaching consequences for government, industry, and most crucially, for the farmers affected by both the disease and the control measures imposed to contain it. 

"I wish to update all role players on the current status of FMD outbreaks in South Africa, beginning with some good news. I am pleased to report that the outbreaks which afflicted the Eastern Cape in 2024 have not resurfaced in 2025. The last outbreak in Eastern Cape occurred in September 2024," the minister said. 

"Following extensive surveillance in and around the affected areas, the Disease Management Area (DMA) was lifted on 4 July 2025. The affected farms in the Humansdorp and East London areas remain under quarantine, following the lifting of restrictions, and are undergoing final testing to confirm the absence of the FMD virus."

 Steenhuisen said the results to date are encouraging and expressed gratitude to every individual and institution who contributed to resolving these outbreaks. 

He said farmers adhered to quarantine conditions despite the hardship this imposed; Agri Eastern Cape supported the government in monitoring livestock movements into and out of the affected areas; and veterinary services officials worked tirelessly to meet regulatory requirements. 

Steenhuisen noted that this success story was made possible through dedication and partnership. 

"Equally encouraging is the situation in Limpopo, where all outbreaks were resolved in August 2023. The DMA in Limpopo was also rescinded on 4 July 2025.  It is important to note that for the current financial year we procured 900 000 doses of vaccine from the Botswana Vaccine Institute to the value of R72 million," he said. 

"The first 500 000 doses arrived in June and were used to vaccinate cattle in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West and Free State. Just over a week ago, we received the remaining 400 000 doses of which 50 000 are already distributed. The remaining doses of the vaccine will go to areas currently experiencing outbreaks - these include Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng."

He said at the beginning of 2025, active FMD outbreaks were confined to KwaZulu-Natal and unfortunately, by the end of May 2025, new outbreaks had emerged in other provinces. 

"At present, there are 274 unresolved outbreaks across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Free State, North West and Mpumalanga. Positive cases have been confirmed in all cattle farming systems - commercial beef herds, animal breeding, feedlots, dairy cattle, and communal herds," he said. 

"In KwaZulu-Natal, the outbreaks have continued to spread westward, with confirmed cases in the Dundee, Dannhauser, Newcastle, Alfred Duma, Okhahlamba, uMshwathi, eDumbe, and eMadlangeni local municipalities. Fortunately, the disease appears to have abated in the eastern part of the DMA, though 180 outbreaks remain open in the province."

Steenhuisensaid the virus spread from KwaZulu-Natal into Mpumalanga through an auction in February 2025. 

He said by late May 2025, additional outbreaks were reported in Gauteng, North West, western Mpumalanga and Free State. Investigations suggest both farm-to-farm spread, and "pinpoint" introductions associated with livestock movements where isolation protocols were not observed as contributors to the spread of the disease. 

"Current numbers are as follows: Gauteng: 54 outbreaks; North West: 26; Mpumalanga: 9; and Free State: 5," he said.