FMD in South Africa: Over 2 Million Animals Vaccinated as Outbreaks Intensify Across Provinces

South Africa’s fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is entering a critical phase, as new outbreak data reveals both escalating spread and significant progress in vaccination efforts.

According to the South African Department of Agriculture, the country is currently managing over 1,300 confirmed cases of FMD across all nine provinces, with the Free State emerging as the epicentre of the outbreak.

Free State at the Centre of the Outbreak

Provincial data shows that the Free State has recorded:

433 outbreaks (provincial tracking)
328 officially confirmed cases reported to the
World Organisation for Animal Health

This discrepancy reflects differences in reporting systems:

Provincial figures include suspected and active cases under investigation
WOAH figures include only confirmed and formally notified outbreaks

Across the country, the distribution of cases highlights the scale of the crisis:

North West – 247
Gauteng – 241
KwaZulu-Natal – 225
Mpumalanga – 140
Eastern Cape – 71
Limpopo – 49
Western Cape – 13
Northern Cape – 3

Underreporting and Weak Biosecurity Fuel Spread

Despite rising case numbers, a more concerning issue is emerging:

Farmers are increasingly failing to report suspected cases

According to authorities, this:

Violates national law
Obscures the true scale of the outbreak
Disrupts vaccination planning and response strategies

Under Section 11 of the Animal Diseases Act (Act 35 of 1984), livestock owners are legally required to:

Report suspected infections
Implement measures to prevent disease spread

At the same time, declining adherence to biosecurity protocols is accelerating transmission between farms-undermining national control efforts.

This aligns with global concerns raised by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the
World Organisation for Animal Health, both of which identify surveillance gaps and poor compliance as major drivers of FMD spread.

Mass Vaccination Strategy: Over 2 Million Animals Covered

In response, South Africa has rolled out an aggressive vaccination campaign.

According to
John Steenhuisen:

2,033,289 animals have been vaccinated between February and March 2026
The rollout follows a risk-based strategy, prioritizing high-density livestock areas
312,414 cattle vaccinated in the Free State alone

Early Signs of Impact

Initial field data shows:

No new breakthrough infections in vaccinated herds

While this suggests the vaccination programme is effective, authorities caution that:

Monitoring must continue
Vaccine-strain matching remains critical

Vaccine Supply Ramps Up

To sustain the campaign, South Africa has secured large volumes of vaccines through international and local partnerships:

Biogénesis Bagó → 2.5 million doses
Dollvet → 1.5 million doses
Additional millions of doses expected before end of April 2026

Procurement and coordination are being managed through
Onderstepoort Biological Products

Dairy Sector Receives Priority Protection

Recognizing the economic importance of dairy production, the government has prioritized this sector in the vaccination rollout:

All dairy farms in the Free State → vaccinated
Major dairy operations in Western Cape → covered
Vaccine doses distributed through the
Milk Producers Organisation:
- Eastern Cape → 78,000 doses
- KwaZulu-Natal → 350,000 doses

This targeted approach reflects efforts to: