Outbreak of foot and mouth disease reported in the free state

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) has been reported in the free state, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday.

The department said that the outbreak was confirmed last Thursday on a commercial farm in the local municipality of Moqhaka, located in the Veterinary Area of Kroonstad State.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture Joylene van Wyk said that the affected property was placed under quarantine on 8 July and that immediate control measures were implemented, including supervision and vaccination.

“Trace-back activities are underway to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding radius of 10 km undergo supervision to determine the possible size of the spread,” said Van Wyk.

She confirmed that 270 FMD outbreaks in July had been reported in five provinces in South Africa.

While 21 of the outbreaks were resolved, 249 remained unsolved.

“The Eastern Cape has included 40 outbreaks, with 38 still open and two resolved. Since September 2024 there have been no new reported cases in the Western Cape. Kwazulu-Natal is the most affected province, with 191 reported outbreaks, of which are active and 19 were resolved.

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