The South African dairy industry is facing a new crisis as reports emerge of livestock farmers illegally importing and using unregistered foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines from Kenya, prompting stern warnings from Milk SA about potentially catastrophic consequences.

By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming

Dr Mark Chimes, manager of the Animal Health and Welfare Project of Milk SA, has expressed serious concerns about farmers resorting to illegal measures amid the current FMD epidemic plaguing the country. “Milk SA is alarmed to learn of reports that some livestock farmers may be importing and using a Kenyan foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, or at the very least, threatening to do so,” Dr Chimes said in a recent press release.

While acknowledging the desperate situation facing farmers, Dr Chimes emphasised that illegal importation cannot be justified. “As much as Milk SA sympathises with the plight of farmers in the face of the current FMD epidemic, it cannot condone the practice,” he said.

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Legal and Health Risks

The vaccine in question, FOTIVAX™, manufactured by the Kenya Veterinary Vaccines Production Institute (KEVEVAPI), is not registered for use in South Africa. Dr Chimes warned that the legal implications are severe. “Importing any medication that is not licensed in South Africa is a criminal offence. Milk SA condemns the practice in the strongest terms.”

Beyond the legal issues, the Kenyan vaccine presents significant biological risks. The FOTIVAX™ vaccine targets strains A, O, SAT1 and SAT2, but critically lacks protection against the SAT3 strain, which caused the recent Eastern Cape outbreak.

More concerning is the inclusion of strains A and O, which don’t naturally occur in South Africa but are present in the Kenyan vaccine. This could create testing complications, as animals might test positive for these foreign strains, leading to suspicions of illegal vaccination or active infection.

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Potential Catastrophic Consequences

The stakes couldn’t be higher. If the vaccine contains strain C – another foreign FMD type – its detection could trigger the immediate destruction of entire herds to prevent disease spread. This scenario could devastate individual farmers and the broader livestock industry.

The vaccine also lacks DIVA (Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals) capabilities, making it impossible to distinguish between infected and vaccinated animals during testing protocols.

Also read: Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) cases surge to 106 in Free State

Although farmers face frustration with limited vaccine availability, legal alternatives exist. South Africa currently imports water-based vaccines from Botswana under special permits, though these provide only three months of protection. A promising oil-based vaccine from Turkey that could provide six to 12 months of protection is undergoing testing and regulatory approval.

The FMD crisis has already strained the livestock industry, with outbreaks affecting multiple provinces. The current situation involves primarily SAT1 and SAT2 strains, which are indigenous to South Africa, along with the troublesome SAT3 strain in the Eastern Cape.

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