The Gauteng Department of Agriculture MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has welcomed a major decline in Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), with vaccination highlighted as a key factor.
Gauteng has recorded a 96.34% decline in new FMD outbreaks, with cases falling from 166 between October 2025 and January 2026 to just six between June and August 2026.
The Gauteng Department of Agriculture said the decline marks significant progress in the province’s efforts to contain the disease.
According to the department, the dramatic decline follows the implementation of the Gauteng Provincial FMD Rapid Response Approach, led by Ramokgopa and supported by the Gauteng Provincial Government through additional resources for field personnel, vaccination and disease control.
The department stated that a key pillar of the response has been vaccination. Between February and August 2026, 542 100 animals were vaccinated across Gauteng, including cattle in feedlots, dairy farms, communal herds and commercial beef herds.
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“Importantly, 94% of the cattle herd outside feedlots has received an initial FMD vaccination, exceeding the 80% coverage generally targeted to support strong herd immunity.
“All cattle in Gauteng’s dairy farms have also received a second, booster vaccination,” said the department.
The department added that the province is also making significant progress in recovering from the outbreak.
Of the 308 herds confirmed to have been infected with FMD since April 2025, 176, or 57%, have now been cleared of quarantine after clinical inspections found no evidence of circulating FMD virus.
These results demonstrate the impact of a coordinated approach combining vaccination, surveillance, movement controls, biosecurity and close cooperation between government and livestock farmers.
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Ramokgopa welcomed the progress and thanked Gauteng’s farmers and livestock keepers for their cooperation.
“A 96% reduction in new outbreaks is a significant achievement and shows that our collective efforts are working. But we cannot afford to become complacent.
“FMD remains a serious threat, and we must maintain high vaccination coverage, strong biosecurity and vigilant disease surveillance,” said Ramokgopa.
The department calls on all livestock owners to continue practising strict biosecurity, monitoring their animals and immediately reporting any suspected cases of FMD to their local State Veterinarian.
The department highlighted that while this progress is significant, the work is not yet done, adding that Gauteng must remain vigilant, sustain its efforts and continue working with farmers to ensure FMD remains firmly under control.
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