Current Outbreak and Disease Status
The information in this report is derived from WOAH and provincial reports and may differ slightly from official government figures due to reporting timelines.
Western Cape and Northern Cape: remain FMD-free, which is supported by targeted surveillance that began in May 2025.
Limpopo: outbreaks were closed with the WOAH in 2023. Following continuous surveillance, the DMA was rescinded in June 2025.
Eastern Cape: outbreak in Humansdorp that began in April 2024 has been resolved. After surveillance of the area to ensure that there was no circulating FMD virus, the DMA was rescinded in June 2025. Quarantine measures remain in place for vaccinated and previously infected farms. The second outbreak of FMD in the Eastern Cape near East London is in the process of being resolved using a controlled slaughter-out (depopulation) method.
There are currently four outbreak events being monitored:
– Two outbreaks in the Eastern Cape (as described above).
– One isolated case of the SAT 1 FMD virus in KwaZulu-Natal.
– A broader SAT 2 outbreak affecting multiple provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North-West, Gauteng, and the Free State.
Free State:
The following number of cases has been confirmed in these regions:
– Kroonstad: 10
– Viljoenskroon: 19
– Deneysville: 1
– Cornelia/Frankfort: 7
– Heilbron: 2
– Edenville: 2
– Odendaalsrus: 1
– Sasolburg: 1
Currently, Viljoenskroon is of concern as there is a lack of cooperation from farmers in the district, making it difficult to manage the outbreaks. SAPS is assisting state veterinary services in the area to manage animal movement. Quarantine was lifted on 7 farms in Kroonstad area after no circulating virus was detected.
Vaccination is practiced only were deemed necessary e.g. Feedlots in Edenville. Fortunately, no spillover has been detected from the affected feedlots
The veterinary services team in the Free State must be commended on the very professional way they are managing the outbreaks.
North West:
Outbreaks in North West were first identified in June 2025. To date, 35 confirmed cases have been recorded in the following areas:
– Orkney: 2
– Brits: 1
– Rustenburg: 4
– Tosca: 1
– Ventersdorp: 27
Feedlots in the Ventersdorp area have been successfully vaccinated. However, veterinary teams in the province are facing resistance from some communal cattle owners who are reluctant to vaccinate their herds. An added challenge is the presence of many semi-formal or village auction sites in the region which often lack proper biosecurity protocols, animal source verification, and health declarations.
Gauteng:
Gauteng currently has 73 open outbreaks:
– Ekurhuleni 11
– Emfuleni /Vanderbijlpark 2
– Johannesburg 4
– Lesedi /Heidleberg 25
– Merafong 2
– Midvaal 14
– Mogale 9
– Tshwane 3
– Westonaria 3
A vast majority of the cases in Gauteng involve communal peri-urban livestock owners’ cattle. Karan Feedlot in Lesedi has reported new cases within this week and will begin vaccinating as soon as vaccine becomes available. The source of this “new” outbreak is under investigation.
Mpumalanga:
Since June 14 cases of FMD have been reported in the west of the province:
– Diplaleseng /Balfour: 1
– Emakhazeni / Belfast: 1
– Govan Mbeki /Secunda 4
– Steve Tshwete / Middelburg 1
– Thembisile / Kwaggafontein 1
– Victor Khanye /Delmas 6
KwaZulu-Natal:
Since the start of the FMD outbreak in 2021, a total of 200 cases have been reported. Of these, 19 cases have been resolved. So far in 2025, 43 new cases have been confirmed. The KZN DMA was expanded after outbreaks occurred in:
– uMnabithi: 19
– Dundee: 7
– Newcastle: 9
– uMshwathi / Pietermaritzburg: 0
This spread out of the original DMA area is of real concern for the southern area of KZN. The one case in the uMshwathi area involved a feedlot that practiced vaccination to bring the disease under control.
Control and Mitigation Measures
The continued spread of FMD has largely been driven by the uncontrolled and often illegal movement of livestock.
The RMIS Traceability Platform, along with other identification systems, plays a critical role in managing animal movements. These systems are now advancing rapidly, and livestock owners are strongly encouraged to register as a matter of urgency. To further strengthen biosecurity, some feedlot owners have resolved to only source cattle from suppliers who are registered on the RMIS platform and have a valid Geolocation Number (GLN).
By far the most important action that any livestock owner can take to mitigate the risk of being infected with FMD is appropriate, strict and disciplined biosecurity. A clear understanding of how the FMD virus spreads, and how long it can survive in different environments, is essential when designing and applying an effective biosecurity plan.
The RMIS platform also provides an indication of the current FMD “hotspot” areas. At present, these include regions in the North West, Free State and Gauteng provinces. By staying informed of active outbreak areas, livestock owners can make better decisions to manage risk and reduce the chances of exposure to the virus.
Available at: https://rmis.co.za/disease-incidents/
Industry Impact and Coordination
Ministerial Task Team for Controlled Diseases (MTT): Following the FMD indaba held in July 2025, the Minister of Agriculture appointed the MTT to strengthen national coordination in managing FMD outbreaks. The team consists of 10 state veterinarians and 14 nominated veterinarians from industry, including experts from various livestock organisations and academic institutions. This team has been meeting regularly in the past month and it is encouraging to note the development of a collaborative mindset amongst the members of the task team.
Vaccines: Procurement of suitable vaccines is a priority for the MTT, as control of FMD hinges on being able to reduce the spread by vaccinating both in-contact animals and at-risk animals in the vicinity of outbreaks. FMD vaccines are currently supplied exclusively by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), the sole manufacturer of FMD vaccines in Southern Africa. In agreement with the National Department of Agriculture, RMIS is coordinating the purchase of vaccines on behalf of livestock owners to either use immediately or keep in reserve as an “insurance” against potential outbreaks, primarily in feedlots. A total of 644,000 doses have been secured, which will be stored at (OBP) Onderstepoort Biological Products.
Diagnostic: Accurate and timely diagnostic capabilities are receiving attention to ensure that outbreaks are identified as early as possible to reduce further spread.
Enhancing response actions and speed in dealing with new cases is also a priority. The MTT engages with provincial directors to assist in developing response plans to outbreaks in the respective provinces.
The MTT has initiated discussions and debating the concepts of zoning (regionalisation) to declare certain parts of South Africa free-without-vaccination (WC &NC) and certain areas free-with vaccination e.g. Eastern Cape.
TIP OF THE WEEK: “CAVEAT EMPTOR”
Incubation period = period from acquiring FMD infection to clinical disease (signs) developing. Animals can transmit disease during this pre-clinical phase.
Cattle = 2 to 14 days.
Sheep 1 to 12 days.
Buying animals that appear healthy, i.e. don’t have clinical signs or lesions, on the day of purchase does not mean they are not infected. Buying without knowing the animals were isolated and diligently observed for 28 days prior to sale day is extremely dangerous.
Abbreviations:
BVI Botswana Vaccine Institute
DMA Disease Management Area
MTT Ministerial Task Team
OBP Onderstepoort Biological Products
WOAH World Organization for Animal Health (previously OIE)
