Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak spreads across six provinces

FOLLOWING President Cyril Ramaphosa ‘s announcement in his state of the nation address last week that Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) had been declared a National Disaster, the Department of Agriculture provided an update on the FMD outbreak detailing the spread across six provinces.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

The Department said that suspected clinical signs of FMD were reported in all districts of the Eastern Cape province.

“Samples were collected and results confirmed outbreaks of FMD in 18 locations, while a number of results are still pending. The virus was identified as SAT1. Clinical signs of FMD were detected in April 2024 on a farm in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape Province. Samples tested positive for FMD SAT3. A total of 39 farms were found FMD-positive. In addition, a further 36 farms were preemptively vaccinated and also placed under quarantine”

The Department added that in the Free State, an outbreak of SAT2 FMD was confirmed on a commercial farm in Moghaka Local Municipality in July 2025, which is the same as the strain of virus circulating in the KZN SAT2 outbreak event. “The disease has since also been detected in Lejweleputswa, Fezile Dabi, Xhariep, and Thabo Mofutsanyane Districts. A total of 245 outbreaks have been reported to the WOAH. A pig farm tested positive for FMD and the virus was identified as SAT1, related to the strain of FMD virus identified in Gauteng Province in October 2025”