New Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak Confirmed in Free State, KZN Quarantine Widens

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture has confirmed a fresh outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Free State, with KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) remaining the most heavily affected province under continued quarantine.

The latest confirmed case, reported on 10 July, occurred on a commercial farm in the Kroonstad veterinary area within the Moqhaka Local Municipality. The farm had already been placed under quarantine on 8 July, as officials began tracing the source and assessing the spread radius.

“Trace-back activities are ongoing to determine the source of the infection, while farms in the surrounding 10km radius are undergoing surveillance,” the department stated.

National Snapshot: 270 FMD Outbreaks Across Six Provinces

As of mid-July, 270 FMD outbreaks have been recorded across six provinces, with only 21 cases resolved so far. The remaining 249 cases are still under close monitoring by state veterinarians.

Here’s the provincial breakdown of outbreaks:

• KwaZulu-Natal: 191

• Eastern Cape: 40

• Gauteng: 32

• North West: 4

• Mpumalanga: 3

• Free State: 1 (new outbreak confirmed)

The Free State’s new case now officially adds the province to the list of those battling active FMD infections.

Correction: More KZN Municipalities Remain Under Quarantine

On Monday, the Department of Agriculture issued a correction notice, stating that some quarantined areas in KwaZulu-Natal were mistakenly excluded from a prior update. The oversight has been addressed, and the following municipalities remain part of the official quarantine zone:

Entire municipalities still under quarantine:

• Big Five Hlabisa

• Mtubatuba

• Nongoma

• Ulundi

• Umhlabuyalingana

• Jozini

• Pongola

• Abaqulusi

• Umfolozi

• uMhlathuze

• Mthonjaneni

• Nqutu

• Nkandla

• uMlalazi

• Mandeni

Additional quarantine zones based on road boundaries:

• Emadlangeni (south of the R34 from the R33)

• Newcastle (south of the R34 up to and east of the N11)

• Dannhauser (east of the N11, north of the R68)

• Endumeni (north of the R68, east of the R33)

• Msinga (east of the R33)

• UMvoti (east of the R33, north of the R74)

• Maphumulo (north-east of the R74)

• Ndwedwe (east of the R74)

• KwaDukuza (north-east of the R74 up to the N2, west to the N2 up to Mandeni)

The department apologised for the previous omission and reaffirmed that strict quarantine and movement controls remain in place to curb the spread of the virus.

What Is Foot-and-Mouth Disease?

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep. Although it does not pose a direct threat to human health, it can have severe economic consequences due to trade bans and culling of livestock.

Public Caution Urged

The Department of Agriculture is urging farmers, veterinarians, and livestock transporters to follow all biosecurity protocols, especially in and around the affected municipalities.

“We remain vigilant and committed to halting the spread through proactive surveillance and strict quarantine enforcement,” the department said.

South Africans are advised to report any signs of illness in livestock and to avoid moving animals from affected zones without official clearance.

{Source: The Citizen}

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