Minister John Steenhuisen reveals significant progress in South Africa's fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease, as vaccination efforts show promise in restoring livestock trade amid ongoing outbreaks.
Image: Supplied Department of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen says that the country’s effort to contain the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak is beginning to show early signs of progress.
The country has been battling the crisis for several months, leading to some trading partners imposing restrictions on South African livestock.
In a statement issued to the media, Steenhuisen said the national vaccination campaign is starting to yield results, with no new infections recorded in vaccinated herds.
"The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, is pleased to report early data indicates that the current mass Foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination strategy is yielding positive results," the Minister said.
"Crucially, there have been no new breakthroughs in herds that have already been vaccinated, providing a clear indication that the vaccines are effective and the strategy is working to protect the national herd. Since February 2026 up until 26 March 2026, provinces have vaccinated a total of 2 033 289 animals".
He added that outbreaks have, however, been recorded across all nine provinces, with a total of 1,317 cases confirmed as of 10 April 2026.The government said the rise in reported numbers reflects improved surveillance.
"The recent increase in reported numbers is due to improved government capacity. We have strengthened surveillance and implemented a centralised reporting system, allowing for earlier detection and faster data capture".
"Furthermore, heightened awareness has helped identify "sub-clinical" cases — where animals carry the virus without showing obvious symptoms — which previously might have gone unnoticed,"
He also revealed that the department has secured additional vaccine supplies to expand the rollout, with millions of doses already received.
"The department has successfully secured a steady supply of vaccines. To date, four million doses have been received — 2.5 million doses from Biogénesis BagÖ in Argentina and 1.5 million doses from Dollvet in Turkey. An additional two million doses from Dollvet are expected to arrive by the end of April.
"An order for five million doses from Biogénesis Bago has already been placed with Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP). The process to import has begun, and 3.5 million doses of the ordered five million doses is expected to arrive before end of April 2026".
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