Foot-and-mouth disease outbreak confirmed in Free State

19 March 2024

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has announced a new outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

The new outbreak, reported on February 21 and now confirmed, occurred on a farm in the Frankfort state veterinary area.

During the health declaration examination conducted by a private veterinarian, livestock exhibited lesions. Samples sent to the Agricultural Research Council’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research Transboundary Animal Diseases Centre confirmed the outbreak, the department said in a statement.

The farm where the outbreak occurred has since been placed under quarantine, with no animals allowed to enter or leave. Livestock inspection and further sampling continue.

Farms within the three, five and 10 km radii have been placed under provisional quarantine, and farms with livestock with split hooves will also undergo clinical inspection and laboratory testing.

However, most of the neighbouring farms are crop farms and the provisional quarantine will be lifted once the absence of livestock with split hooves on these farms is confirmed.

The source of the outbreak is unknown but the epidemiological investigation is ongoing. Locations and auctions that may be epidemiologically linked to the outbreak are under further investigation to determine the origin and destination of the livestock.

Foot-and-mouth disease cases still under investigation

Meanwhile, the department says there are currently 161 open outbreaks reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health, with 55 outbreaks closed. In KwaZulu-Natal, there are 131 open outbreaks, largely on small-scale farms, and 10 outbreaks closed. These outbreaks were reported on October 6 last year.

In the Free State, two cases reported on 26 September 2022, are still open, while two other outbreaks have been closed.

The eight outbreaks reported in Limpopo on 25 April 2022, have been closed, while the two in Gauteng reported on 30 March 2022, have also been closed.

On 22 November 2022, 18 outbreaks were reported in North West, four of which are still open and 14 closed. Of the five cases reported in Gauteng on 30 August 2022, three are still open and two closed.

The single outbreak reported in Mpumalanga on 2 August 2022, has since been closed, while 16 of the 36 outbreaks reported in the Free State on 22 September 2022, have been closed.

The latest outbreak brings South Africa’s total outbreaks since April 2022 to 216, with 161 still open and 55 resolved, the department said.